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V S-Q 



THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA 






BY DR. HUDSON. 
— * — 

THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

12mo $1.50 

A SCIENTIFIC DEMONSTRATION OF THE 

FUTURE LIFE. 12mo . . 1.50 

THE DIVINE PEDIGREE OF MAN. 12mo. 1.50 

— • — 

A. C McCLURG & CO. 

CHICAGO. 



THE LAW 



OF 



yc/; 



PSYCHIC PHENOMENA 



a Working P^potfjeste 



FOR THE 



SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF HYPNOTISM, 
SPIRITISM, MENTAL THERA- 
PEUTICS, Etc. 



BY 



THOMSON JAY HUDSON, LL.D. 

AUTHOR OF "A SCIENTIFIC DEMONSTRATION OF THE FUTURE LIFE," 
"THE DIVINE PEDIGREE OF MAN," ETC. 




TWENTIETH EDITION 



CHICAGO 

A. C. McCLURG & CO. 

1900 










,0' %. 



\^\ 



o 



Copyright 
to A. C. McClurg and Co. 

A.D. 1893 



TO THE 

floruit afcle Hester 1L Sfonti, 

THE COMPANION OF MY YOUTH, THE STEADFAST FRIEND OF 
MY MANHOOD, MY MENTOR ALWAYS, 

THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED BY 

THE AUTHOR. 



PREFACE. 



I DO not expect this book to stand upon its literary merits ; for 
if it is unsound in principle, felicity of diction cannot save 
it, and if sound, homeliness of expression cannot destroy it. 
My primary object in offering it to the public is to assist in 
bringing Psychology within the domain of the exact sciences. 
That this has never been accomplished is owing to the fact 
that no successful attempt has been made to formulate a work- 
ing hypothesis sufficiently comprehensive to embrace all psychic 
phenomena. It has, however, long been felt by the ablest 
thinkers of our time that all psychic manifestations of the 
human intellect, normal or abnormal, whether designated by the 
name of mesmerism, hypnotism, somnambulism, trance, spirit- 
ism, demonology, miracle, mental therapeutics, genius, or in- 
sanity, are in some way related ; and consequently, that they 
are to be referred to some general principle or law, which, once 
understood, will simplify and correlate the whole subject-matter, 
and possibly remove it from the domain of the supernatural. 
The London Society for Psychical Research, whose ramifica- 
tions extend all over the civilized world, was organized for the 
purpose of making a systematic search for that law. The 
Society numbers among its membership many of the ablest 
scientists now living. Its methods of investigation are purely 
scientific, and painstaking to the last degree, and its field em* 
braces all psychic phenomena. It has already accumulated 
and verified a vast array of facts of the most transcendent 
interest and importance. In the mean time a large number of 
the ablest scientists of Europe and America have been pursuing 
independent investigations in the phenomena of hypnotism. 
They too have accumulated facts and discovered principles of 
vast importance, especially in the field of mental therapeutics, — 
principles which also throw a flood of light upon the general 
subject of Psychology. 



vi PREFACE. 

This vast array of facts, thus accumulated and verified, and 
awaiting scientific classification and analysis, would seem to 
justify at least a tentative effort to apply to them the processes 
of induction, to the end that the fundamental law of psychic 
phenomena may be discovered. 

In the following pages I have attempted such a classification 
of verified phenomena, accounts of which I find in the literature 
current on the subject ; and I have tentatively formulated a 
working hypothesis for the systematic study of all classes of 
psychic phenomena. It will be observed that I have availed my- 
self largely of the labors of others, instead of confining myself 
to experimental researches of my own. I have done this for two 
reasons : first, that I might avoid the accusation of having con- 
ducted a series of experiments for the purpose of sustaining a 
pet theory of my own; and second, because I hold that sub- 
stantial progress cannot be made in science until one is ready 
to accord due credit to human integrity, and to give due weight 
to human testimony. 

In conclusion, I desire to say that I claim no credit for this 
work, save that which is due to an honest desire to promote the 
truth for its own sake. Sincerely believing in the correctness 
of my hypothesis, I have not hesitated to follow it to its legiti- 
mate conclusion in every field which I have entered. If at the 
close of the book I have seemed to trespass upon the forbidden 
field of theological discussion, it was not for the purpose of 
sustaining any preconceived opinions of my own ; far from it. 
It was because I was irresistibly led to my conclusions by the 
terms of my hypothesis and the inflexible logic of its appli- 
cation. I cannot but be aware that my conclusions some- 
times oppose the preconceived opinions of others. But no 
one who accepts my hypothesis as the true one will be compelled 
more frequently than I have been to renounce his former 
convictions. 

T. J. H. 

Washington, D. C. 

October 21, 1892. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

Page 
Necessity of a Working Hypothesis. — The Newtonian Hypo- 
thesis. — The Atomic Theory. — A Psychological Hypothe- 
sis necessary. — Theories of Hypnotism and Mesmerism. — 
Spiritism. — Mental Therapeutics. — Liebault's Law of Sug- 
gestion. — Duality of Mind. — A Working Hypothesis for 
Psychology formulated. — Its Three Terms 19 

CHAPTER II. 

DUALITY AND SUGGESTION. 

The Doctrine of the Trinity of Man. — The Greek Philosophy. 
— The Early Christian Fathers. — Hermetic Philosophy. — 
Swedenborg. — Duality in Modern Philosophy. — "Objective" 
and "Subjective" Minds. — Their Distinctive Differences 
and Modes of Operation. — The Subjective Mind a Distinct 
Entity. — Illustrations from Hypnotism. — Suggestion. — 
Auto-Suggestion. — Universality of the Law of Suggestion . 27 

CHAPTER III. 

REASONING POWERS OF THE TWO MINDS DIFFERENTIATED. 

The Subjective Mind incapable of Inductive Reasoning. — Its 
Processes always Deductive, or Syllogistic. — Its Premises 
the Result of Suggestion. — Illustrations by Hypnotism. — 
Hypnotic Interview with Socrates. — Reasons from an As- 
sumed Major Premise. — Interview with a Philosophic Pig. — 
The Pig affirms the Doctrine of Reincarnation. — Dogma- 
tism of Subjective Intelligence. — Incapable of Controversial 
Argument. — Persistency in following a Suggested Line of 
Thought 33 



Vlil CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IV. 

PERECT MEMORY OF THE SUBJECTIVE MIND. 

Page 
Confirmed by Hypnotic Phenomena. — Opinions of Psycholo- 
gists. — Sir William Hamilton's Views. — Observations of 
Dr. Rush. — Talent for Poetry and Music developed by 
Abnormal Conditions. — Talent for Drawing evolved by 
Madness. — Resuscitation of Knowledge in the Insane. — 
Extraordinary Feats of Memory during Illness. — A Forgotten 
Language recovered. — Whole Pages of Greek and Hebrew 
remembered by an Illiterate Servant Girl. — Speaking in 
Unknown Tongues explained. — The Result of the Opera- 
tions of Natural Law 40 

CHAPTER V. 

subjective memory {continued). 

Practical Illustrations. — Reasons for Limitations of Subjective 
Power. — Its Practical Significance. — Its Application to the 
Solution of Problems of Insanity. — The Mental Pheno- 
mena of "Genius." — Napoleon Bonaparte. — Shakspeare. — 
Poets. — Artists. — Macaulay's Estimate of Poets and Poetry. 

— Dangers of Subjective Control. — Lord Byron. — Socrates' 
Estimate of Poets. — His Recognition of the Subjective 
Element in Poetic Composition. — Occasional Inconveniences. 

— Unconscious Plagiarism — Observations of Holmes. — 
Improvisation. — Solution of the Shakspeare-Bacon Problem. 

— The Subjective in Art. — Madness in Art. — Great Orators. 

— Webster. — Clay. — Patrick Henry. — Incidents. — Practi- 
cal Conclusions 48 

CHAPTER VI. 

perception of the fixed laws of nature. 

Three Sub-Classes of Mental Phenomena. — Mathematical 
Prodigies. — Musical Prodigies. — Measurement of Time. — 
Distinction between Results of Objective Education and 
Intuitive Perception. — Zerah Colburn, the Mathematical 
Prodigy. — The Lightning Calculator. — Blind Tom, the 
Musical Prodigy. — The Origin and Uses of Music. — East 
Indian Fakirs. — Measurement of Time. — The Power pos- 
sessed by Animals. — Illustrative Incidents. — Hypnotic 
Subjects. — Jouffroy's Testimony. — Bernheim's Views. — 
Practical Observations. — The Normal Functions of Objec- 



CONTENTS. IX 

Page 
tive Intelligence. — The Limitations of Subjective Intelli- 
gence pertains to its Earthly State only. — Its Kinship to 
God demonstrated by its Limitations. — Omniscience cannot 
reason inductively. — Induction is Inquiry. — Perception the 
Attribute of Omniscience. — Conclusions regarding the 
Power of the Soul 62 

CHAPTER VII. 

EFFECTS OF ADVERSE SUGGESTION. 

The Subjective Mind incapable of Controversial Argument. — 
A Sceptical Audience demoralizes it. — The Presence of an 
Avowed Sceptic prevents Successful Exhibition of Subjec- 
tive Phenomena. — Labouchere and Bishop. — The Royal 
Academy of Medicine. — Its Offer to Clairvoyants. — Failure 
to earn Reward. — Harmonious Conditions required by 
Spiritists. — The Seybert Commission. — Trance-speaking 
Mediums. — How demoralized. — Adverse Suggestion the 
Cause of Failure in all Cases. — Possible Lack of Telepathic 
Conditions in Bishop's Case. — General Conclusions. — Fail- 
ure Consistent with Honesty of Mediums 75 

CHAPTER VIII. 

HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 

Warfare of the Schools. — History of the Science. — Mesmer's 
Career. — The Academicians. — The Successors of Mesmer. 

— The Royal Academy of Medicine. — Its Idiotic Prejudices. 

— Dr. Braid's Discovery. — Re-baptism of the Science. — 
Effects of Braid's Discoveries. — Liebault's Theory of Sug- 
gestion. — The Nancy School and the Paris School compared. 

— The Fluidic Theory. — The Law of Suggestion the Great- 
est Discovery in Psychic Science. — The Significance of 
Braid's Discoveries not appreciated. — Hypnotism of Animals. 

— The Charcot School. — The Sources of its Errors. — 
Reform in Terminology suggested. — The Mesmeric Theory. 

— Braid's Processes not productive of Higher Phenomena. — 
Mesmerization of Animals. — Recapitulation of Points . . 81 

CHAPTER IX. 

HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM (continued} . 

Mesmeric Methods. — The Fluidic Theory. — Influence of the 
Mind of the Operator. — The Early Mesmerists. — Their 



X CONTENTS. 

Page 

Methods and their Effects. — Decadence of the Higher Phe- 
nomena under Braid's Methods. — The Causes explained. — 
Telepathic Powers developed by Mesmerism. — Mesmerism 
as a Therapeutic Agent. — Method of Operation recom- 
mended. — How to acquire the Power. — The Necessary 
Conditions of Success. — Will-Power explained. — The 
Fluidic Theory requires Revision. — Distinction between 
Mesmerism and Hypnotism sharply drawn. — Mesmerization 
of Animals distinguished from the Hypnotization of Animals. 
— Methods employed in each. — Tamers of Horses and Wild 
Beasts. — Dog-Trainers. — Primitive Man. — His Powers. — 
His Immunity from Harm. — Daniel. — The Adepts. — Gen- 
eral Conclusions 105 



CHAPTER X. 

HYPNOTISM AND CRIME. 

Platform Experiments misleading. — Their Utter Inutility as a 
Test. — So-called " Tests " described and explained. — Sex- 
ual Outrages impossible. — Auto-Suggestion protects the 
Virtuous. — A Willing Subject necessary. — Demonstrative 
Experiments. — Modern Authorities cited against Them- 
selves. — Professor Gregory's Views. — The Elevated Moral 
Tone of Subjects when mesmerized. — Successful Sugges- 
tion of Suicide impossible. — The Three Normal Functions of 
the Subjective Mind. — Self-Preservation. — Propagation. — 
Preservation of Offspring. — Instinctive Auto-Suggestion. — 
Indifference on Near Approach of Death. — A Universal Law. 
— Illustrative Incidents. — Suggestive Criminal Abortion 
impossible. — Premonitions explained. — The Daemon of 
Socrates. — Clairaudience. — The Instinct of Death. — Hyp- 
notism in Jurisprudence. — Testimony valueless. — Vital 
Secrets impossible to obtain. — Doctors must not monopolize 
the Forces of Nature. — The Folly of Adverse Legislation . 122 

CHAPTER XL 

PSYCHO-THERAPEUTICS. 

Historical Notes. — Mind Cure in Ancient Times. — Bible Ac- 
counts. — Miracles of the Church. — Healing by the King's 
Touch. — Views of Paracelsus and Pomponazzi. — Bernheim's 
Experiments. — The Modern Schools. — Their Theories. — 
The True Hypothesis applicable to All Systems. — Illustrations 
of the Theory. — Producing a Blister by Suggestion. — Bloody 
Stigmata. — Letters of Blood. — Objective Control of Sub- 



CONTENTS. XI 

Page 
jective Mind. — Subjective Control of Bodily Functions. — 
The Necessary Mental Conditions. — The Precepts and 
Example of Christ. — Subjective Faith alone required. — 
Discussion of Various Systems. — Christian Science, etc. — 
General Conclusions 144 

CHAPTER XII. 

psycho-therapeutics (continued) . 

Methods classified in Two Divisions. — Mental and Oral Sug- 
gestions. — Absent Treatment. — Christian Scientists handi- 
capped by Absurd Theories. — They claim too much. — The 
Use of Drugs. — Dangers arising from too Radical Change. 
— Importance of Favorable Mental Environment. — Mental 
Healing requires Mental Conditions. — Treatment by Hyp- 
notism. — Bernheim's Methods. — Illustrative Cases. — The 
Practical Value of the System. — The Illogical Limitations 
of the Theory. — PoteT&cy of Telepathic Suggestion. — Re-lv 
searches of the Society for Psychical Research. — Mr. 
Gurney's Experiments. — They demonstrate the Theory of 
Effluent Emanations. — Diagnosis by Intuition. — Potency 
of Mesmerism. — Permanency of Cures. — Conditions neces- 
sary. — The Example of Jesus. — Self-Healing by Auto- 
suggestion . 161 

CHAPTER XIII. 

A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS. 

Telepathy the Normal Means of Communication between Sub- 
jective Minds. — Perfect Passivity required for Therapeu- 
tic Suggestions. — Natural Sleep the Most Perfect State of 
Passivity. — Hypnotic Sleep and Natural Sleep identical. — 
Phenomena of Dreams. — Subjective Mind controllable by 
Suggestion during Natural Sleep. — Illustrative Incidents. — 
Passivity a Necessity on the Part of the Operator. — The 
Subjective Mind can be caused to convey Telepathic Mes- 
sages during Sleep. — Illustrative Experiments 176 

CHAPTER XIV. 

A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS (continued) . 

Recapitulation of Propositions. — Natural Sleep the Best Con- 
dition attainable both for Healer and Patient. — Demonstra- 
tive Experiments. — Healing at a Distance of One Thousand 



Xli CONTENTS. 

Page 

Miles. — Distance no Obstacle. — Space does not exist for 
the Subjective Mind. — Objective Habits of Thought the 
only Adverse Factor. — Diseases treated. — Strabismus 
cured. — Mode of Operation. — Not a Good Money-making 
Scheme. — It promotes the Health of the Healer. — A 
Method of Universal Utility. — Self-Healing its most Impor- 
tant Function. — The Power absolute. — Within the Reach 
of All. — Method of Self-Healing. — The Patient's Credulity 
not overtaxed. — The Example of Christ. — Material Reme- 
dies not to be ignored. — Advice to Christian Scientists. — 
The Control of Dreams. — Practical Conclusions 191 



CHAPTER XV. 

THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 

If a Man die, shall he live again ? — The Problem not solved 
by Spiritistic Phenomena. — The Phenomena admitted. — 
Their Supernatural Origin denied. — Explained by the Hypo- 
thesis. — Subsidiary Hypothesis. — An Intelligent Dynamic 
Force. — Its Characteristics. — Limited by Medium's Intelli- 
gence. — It is controlled by Suggestion. — Phenomena fail 
in Presence of Scepticism. — Reasons. — Mediumistic Frauds. 

— The Primary Lesson in Spiritistic Investigation. — Mediums 
not necessarily dishonest. — Their Honest Belief in the 
Phenomena. — Suggestion explains all. — Illustrations from 
Hypnotism. — Convincing Character of Alleged Communica- 
tions. — Telepathic Explanations. — General Conclusions . . 205 

CHAPTER XVI. 

THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM {continued) . 

Various Classes of Phenomena. — Clairvoyance. — Its Field not 
yet clearly defined. — Telepathy invades its Ancient Do- 
main. — Simple Experiments in Telepathy. — Their Signifi- 
cance. — Telepathic Power in Mediums. — Telepathic Visions. 

— A Typical Seance. — Wonderful Exhibition of Telepathic 
Power. — An Affecting Interview of the Sitter with Himself. 

— Deductions. — Visions of Inanimate Things as well as of 
Deceased Persons. — Spirit of the Jack of Clubs. — Subjec- 
tive Memory. — Spirit Identity. — Allan Kardec's Observa- 
tions. — His Illogical Conclusions. — His Supreme Test. — 
Telepathic Explanation. — Four Ways of explaining his Test 



XI 



Case 



219 



CONTENTS. xiii 

CHAPTER XVII. 

THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM {continued) . 

Page 

Psychometry. — "The Souls of Things." — Professor Denton's 
Experiments. — Wonderful Visions of the Ancient Environ- 
ment of Geological Specimens. — A Piece of Mortar from 
Cicero's House. — Supposed Scientific Tests. — Explanation 
on Telepathic Principles. — Experiments in Hypnotism com- 
pared. — Clairvoyance and Telepathy. — Their Boundary 
Lines in Transit. — Clairaudience. — Definitions of the Term. 

— Socrates and his Daemon. — Modern Instances. — Men- 
tal Impressions. — Premonitions. — Their Unreliability. — 
Remarkable Examples of Clairaudience. — A Lawyer's Ex- 
perience. — Subject to the Law of Suggestion. — Insanity 
sometimes results from Ignorance of the Cause. — Practical 
Suggestions 238 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM {continued). 

The Planchette. — Modifications. — Easily operated. — Auto- 
matic Writing. — Governed by the Universal Law. — The 
Planchette without Spirits. — The Planchette and Telepathy. 

— Trance. — Ancient and Modern Superstitions relating to 
Trance. — Religious Systems founded on Trance. — Visions. — 
Swedenborg. — Oriental Philosophy. — Its Slow Growth and 
Stupendous Proportions. — Spiritistic Philosophy. — Its Evo- 
lution. — All founded on Trance Visions, in Ignorance of the 
Law of Suggestion. — Cahagnet's Mesmeric Seers. — Their 
Revelations. — Objective and Subjective Visions. — Orthodoxy 
and Heterodoxy. — Visions of the Holy Virgin. — The Physical 
and Mental Attitude of Prayer. — The Prayer of Faith. — 
Obsession. — Possession. — Casting out Devils. — Devils out 
of Fashion. — The Influence of Suggestion. — The Element 
of Telepathy. — Dual Personality. — Loss of Identity. — 
Characteristics. — The Case of Ansel Bourne. — Possible 
Explanation. — A Proof of the Dual Hypothesis. — Multiple 
Personality 25* 

CHAPTER XIX. 

THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 

The Intelligence manifested. — It is a Human Intelligence. — 
Inherent Probabilities. — Conditions requisite. — The Best 



XIV CONTENTS. 

Page 
Conditions. — A Living Organism necessary. — The Laws 
of Telepathy and Suggestion prevail. — Slate-Writing. — 
A Wonderful Slate- Writing Seance. — Telepathic and Psycho- 
Physical Power displayed in Perfection. — Demonstration of 
its Mundane Origin. — An Unexpected Phenomenon. — Sum- 
mary of Results. — Syllogism. — General Conclusions. — 
Spiritistic Phenomena do not constitute Valid Evidence of a 
Life beyond the Grave. — An Argument for Immortality . .271 



CHAPTER XX. 

PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. 

Ghosts. — Scientific Investigations. — Tentative Classification of 
Phenomena. — Power to create Phantasms demonstrated. — 
Investigations of the London Society for Psychical Re- 
search. — Spirit Photography. — Projection of the "Astral 
Body." — Witches. — Conditions necessary. — The same in 
all Cases. — Spirit " Materialization." — Magicians. — Ghosts 
the Creations of the Subjective Entity. — Eliphas Levi's 
Views. — Raising the Devil. — Crystal Visions. — Proposi- 
tions established. — Embodied Thoughts. — Phantasms not 
Spirits. — Uniform Characteristics. — A New Classification. 
— Conditions of Objectivity and Persistency. — Haunted 
Houses. — No General Intelligence manifested. — D'Assier's 
Statements. — A Remarkable Case. — Ghosts Intensified 
Telepathic Visions. — Difference in Degree, not in Kind. — 
Ghosts not controllable by Suggestion. — Other Salient Pecu- 
liarities. — Ghosts neither prove nor disprove Immortality. — 
Mental Atmosphere of Houses. — Remarkable Cases. — 
Classification of Telepathic Phenomena. — Conclusions . . 286 



CHAPTER XXL 

SUSPENDED ANIMATION AND PREMATURE BURIAL. 

Facts of Startling Import. — The Case of Washington Irving 
Bishop. — Other Instances of Suspended Animation. — Vam- 
pirism. — Catalepsy. — East Indian Fakirs buried alive for 
Months. — Fundamental Errors. — Catalepsy not a Disease. 

— A Recuperative Agent. — The Law of Suggestion gov- 
erns the Phenomena. — Subjective Insensibility impossible. 

— Suggestion of Death deepens the Lethargy. — The Appal- 
ling Dangers of Catalepsy. — The Proper Treatment. . . . 309 



CONTENTS. XV 

CHAPTER XXII. 

PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 

» Pagb 

The Normal Relations of the Objective and Subjective Faculties. 

— Their Distinctive Powers and Functions. — The Infinite 
Wisdom displayed in their Distribution. — It constitutes Man 
a Free Moral Agent. — Limitation of Subjective Powers and 
Responsibilities in this Life. — The Kinship of the Soul to 
God. — The Limitation of the Powers of the Objective Mind. 

— The Transcendent Powers of the Soul. — Errors of the Old 
Philosophers. — The Normal Functions of the Soul in Earthly 
Life. — Dangers of Abnormal Exercise of Subjective Power. — 
Nervous Disorders, Insanity, Imbecility, and Moral Degra- 
dation. — The Importance of a Knowledge of the Law of 
Suggestion. — Dangers of Mediumship. — Trance-Speakers. 

— Immoral Tendency of Ignorant Mediumship. — Tendency 
towards Free Love. — The Causes. — The Orientalists. — 
Their Greater Powers, and their Greater Facilities for Self- 
Delusion. — Practical Conclusions. — Warnings 321 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST. 

The Great Stumbling-Block, Unbelief in the Physical History 
of Christ. — Modern Science confirms the New Testament. — 
Internal Evidence of the Truth of the History of Jesus. — 
The Scientific Accuracy of His Statements. — The Exoteric 
and the Esoteric Doctrines. — Parables. — Esoteric Doctrines 
reserved for Modern Science to discover. — The Spirit of 
Truth. — Jesus the first to proclaim the Scientific Truth. — 
The Doctrine of Faith. — Healing the Sick. — Natural Law. — 
Faith essential then as now. — Illustrative Incidents. — Jai- 
rus' Daughter. — Seven Scientific Steps. — Secrecy enjoined. 

— Scientific Reasons. — Rediscovery of the Science of Men- 
tal Therapeutics in Modern Times — Nothing discovered that 
Jesus did not know. — Absent Treatment. — The Power to 
heal transmitted to all Future Generations. — The Condi- 
tions. — Conclusions 338 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST {continued) . 

The Word Faith in its Application to Psychic Phenomena. — 
Its Definition. — An Epitome of the Law of Suggestion. — 



XVI CONTENTS. 

Pagb 

Subjective Faith only required. — Illustrative Incident. — The 
" Spoken Word." — Jesus knew the Law, and always acted 
within its Limitations. — Intuitive Perception of the Laws of 
the Soul. — His Manhood and its Limitations. — Our War- 
ranty of Title as Sons of God. — Christ constantly controlled 
by Reason. — His Subjective Powers subservient. — The 
Three Temptations illustrative. — The Great Lesson to Man- 
kind. — The Normal Exercise of Subjective Power. — Simon 
the Sorcerer. — Miracle not a Necessary Explanation of the 
Power of Christ. — Conclusions 359 

CHAPTER XXV. 

THE SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST. 

The Necessity of Signs and Wonders. — Christ's Work was for 
All Time. — His Consummate Wisdom. — Signs and Wonders 
as Evidence. — His Perception of Spiritual Laws. — The Per- 
ceptive Powers of the Soul. — Propositions. — Presumptive 
Evidence of His Knowledge of Spiritual Laws. — Condition 
precedent to Immortality. — Faith the Essential Condition. — 
The Declarations of Christ. — He meant just what He said. — 
The Doctrines of the Church. — Literal Extinction of the 
Soul through Unbelief. — Belief essential to Salvation. — 
Belief will not avert the Consequences of Sin. — Inherent 
Probabilities. — The Conscious Existence of the Soul. — The 
Law of Suggestion applied. — Scepticism constitutes a Fatal 
Suggestion. — Phenomena of Hypnotism illustrative. — 
Souls of Animals have no Conscious Existence; hence 
not Immortal. — Christ as a Saviour of Souls. — His Doctrine 
new to the World, but scientifically correct 374 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

THE MISSION OF CHRIST. FUTURE REWARDS AND 

PUNISHMENTS. 

The Success of Christ's Mission. — Chaotic State of Spiritual 
Philosophy in His Time. — The Various Doctrines in Vogue. 
— Jesus the first to simplify the Doctrine of Immortality.— 
He gave it a Definite Status in Philosophy. — The Doctrine 
of Future Rewards and Punishments. — God will "Render 
to every Man according to his Deeds."— Spiritual Penalties 
for Violations of Spiritual Law. — The Sin against the Holy 



CONTENTS. XVII 

Page 
Ghost. — The Sin of Unbelief. — The Status of a Lost Soul. 

— Possible Reincarnation. — The Means of Punishment for 
Sin. — Affections. — Conscience. — Memory. — General Con- 
clusions. — Scientific Basis of Christianity 380, 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

DEDUCTIONS FROM VARIOUS ATTRIBUTES OF THE SOUL. 

The Question of Identity. — Consciousness and Memory. — 
Identity considered in Reference to Rewards and Punish- 
ments. — Conscience. — Conflicting Theories of Psychologists. 

— Education and Intuition. — Different Standards of Moral- 
ity. — The Soul's Perception of the Eternal Principles of Right 
and Wrong. — The Instinct of Worship. — Its Abnormal 
Manifestations. — The Law of Suggestion. — Universality of 
the Sentiment of Worship/ — Its Normal Manifestations. — 
Demonstrative of the Existence of a God of Love. — Old 
Arguments invalid. — Socrates and Paley. — Argument pre- 
dicated on the Affectional Emotions. — Syllogistic Deduc- 
tions. — The Divine Pedigree of Man 400 







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THE 

Law of Psychic Phenomena. 



CHAPTER I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

Necessity of a Working Hypothesis. — The Newtonian Hypothesis!. 
— The Atomic Theory. — A Psychological Hypothesis necesi- 
sary. — Theories of Hypnotism and Mesmerism. — Spiritism. — 
Mental Therapeutics. — Liebault's Law of Suggestion. — Duality 
of Mind. — A Working Hypothesis for Psychology formulated. — 
Its Three Terms. 

SUBSTANTIAL progress in any science is impossible 
in the absence of a working hypothesis which is 
universal in its application to the phenomena pertaining 
to the subject-matter. Indeed, until such an hypothesis 
is discovered and formulated, no subject of human in- 
vestigation can properly be said to be within the domain 
of the exact sciences. Thus, astronomy, previous to the 
promulgation of Kepler's Laws and the formulation of 
the Newtonian hypothesis of gravitation, was in a state 
of chaos, and its votaries were hopelessly divided by con- 
flicting theories. But the moment Newton promulgated 
his theorem a revolution began which eventually involved 
the whole scientific world. Astronomy was rescued from 
the domain of empiricism, and became an exact science. 
What the Newtonian hypothesis did for astronomy, the 
atomic theory has done for chemistry. It enables one 



20 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

skilled in that science to practise it with a certainty of re- 
sults in exact proportion to his knowledge of its principles 
and his skill in applying them to the work in hand. He 
knows that if he can combine hydrogen and oxygen, in the 
proportion of two atoms of the former to one of the latter, 
water will be the result. He knows that one atom, or part, 
of oxygen and one of carbon combined under heat will pro- 
duce carbonic oxide, — a poisonous gas; that the addition 
of another atom, or part, of oxygen will produce carbonic 
anhydride (dioxide) , — a harmless gas ; and so on through- 
out the vast realm of chemical combinations. 

The fact that the literal correctness of a given hypothesis 
is not demonstrable except by results, in no wise militates 
against its value in the domain to which it belongs. Indeed, 
it would cease to be a hypothesis the moment it were de- 
monstrated. Newton's theorem is undemonstrable except 
from its results. Its correspondence, however, with every 
known fact, the facility with which astronomical calculations 
can be made, and the precision with which every result 
can be predicted, constitute a sufficient demonstration of 
its substantial correctness to inspire the absolute confidence 
of the scientific world. No one would hesitate to act in 
the most important concerns of life — nay, to stake his 
very existence — upon calculations based upon Newton's 
hypothesis. Yet there are not found wanting men who deny 
or doubt its abstract correctness. Volumes have been 
written to disprove it. But as no one has yet discovered 
a fact or witnessed a phenomenon outside of its domain, 
the world refuses to surrender its convictions. When 
such a fact is discovered, then, and not till then, will 
there arise a necessity for revising the " Principia." It is 
a trite and true saying that one antagonistic fact will de- 
stroy the value of the finest theory ever evolved. 

It is equally impossible to demonstrate the abstract 
cofrectness of the atomic theory. An appeal to the 
evidence found in uniform results is all that is possible 
to one who would give a reason for the faith that 
is in him. No one ever saw, felt, tasted, or smelled 



INTRO D UCTOR V. 2 1 

an atom. It is beyond the reach of the senses ; nor is 
it at all probable that science or skill will ever be able 
to furnish instrumental aids capable of enabling man to 
take cognizance of the ultimate unit of matter. It exists 
for man only in hypothesis. Nevertheless, the fact remains, 
that in all the wide range of human investigation there is 
not a more magnificent generalization, nor one more useful 
to mankind in its practical results, than the atomic theory. 
Yet there are those who doubt its abstract correctness, 
and labor to disprove the existence of the atom. If the 
ultimate object of chemical science were to demonstrate 
the existence of the atom, or to seize it and harness it 
to the uses of mankind, it might be worth while to set 
the chemical fraternity right by demonstrating its non- 
existence. If the practice of chemistry on the basis of 
the theory were defective in its practical results, or failed 
in universal application, it would then be the duty of 
scientists to discard it entirely, and to seek a better work- 
ing hypothesis. 

The most that can be said of any scientific hypothesis 
is, that whether true in the abstract or not, everything 
happens just as though it were true. When this test of 
universality is applied, when no known fact remains that 
is unexplained by it, the world is justified in assuming it 
to be true, and in deducing from it even the most mo- 
mentous conclusions. If, on the contrary, there is one fact 
pertaining to the subject-matter under investigation which 
remains outside the domain of the hypothesis, or which is 
unexplained by it, it is indubitable evidence that the hy- 
pothesis is unsafe, untrue, and consequently worthless for 
all practical purposes of sound reasoning. Thus, Sir Isaac 
Newton, after having formulated his theorem, threw it aside 
as worthless, for a time, upon making the discovery that 
the moon, in its relations with the earth, apparently did 
not come within the terms of his hypothesis. His calcula- 
tions were based upon the then accepted estimate of the 
length of a degree of latitude. This estimate having been 
corrected by the careful measurements of Picard, Newton 



22 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

revised his figures, and found that the supposed dis- 
crepancy did not exist. The last doubt in his mind having 
been thus set at rest, he gave to the world a theorem 
which rendered possible substantial progress in astronomical 
science. 

In the field of psychological investigation a satisfactory 
working hypothesis has never been formulated. That is to 
say, no theory has been advanced which embraces all 
psychological phenomena. Many theories have been ad- 
vanced, it is true, to account for the various classes of 
phenomena which have been observed. Some of them are 
very plausible and satisfactory — to their authors — when 
applied to a particular class of facts, but utterly fail when 
confronted with another class. 

Thus, the students of the science of hypnotism are, and 
since the days of Mesmer have been, hopelessly divided 
into schools which wage war upon each other's theories, and 
dispute the correctness of each other's observations of facts. 
Mesmer's theory of fluidic emanations, which he termed 
"animal magnetism," seemed to account for the facts 
which he observed, and is still held to be substantially true 
by many votaries of this science. John Bovee Dods' elec- 
trical theory — positive lungs and negative blood — was 
sufficiently plausible in its day to attract many followers, as 
it afforded a satisfactory explanation of many phenomena 
which came under his observation. Braid's physiological 
explanation of certain classes of the phenomena afforded, 
in his time, much comfort to those who believe that there 
is nothing in man which cannot be weighed in a balance or 
carved with a scalpel. In our own day we find the school 
of the Salpetriere, which holds that hypnotism is a disease 
of the nervous system, that its phenomena are explicable 
on physiological principles, that the suggestions of the oper- 
ator play but a secondary role in their production, and that 
they can be produced, or successfully studied, only in dis- 
eased persons. On the other hand, the Nancy school of 
hypnotists holds that the science can be studied with profit 
only in perfectly healthy persons, and from a purely psy- 



INTRODUCTORY. 23 

chological standpoint, and that suggestion is the all-potent 
factor in the production of all hypnotic phenomena. All 
three of the last-mentioned schools agree in ignoring the 
possibility of producing the higher phenomena of hypno- 
tism, known as clairvoyance and thought-transference, or 
mind-reading; whilst the earlier hypnotists demonstrated 
both beyond the possibility of a reasonable doubt. Indeed, 
a committee of the ablest scientists of the Royal Academy of 
Medicine of France, after an investigation extending over 
a period of six years, reported that it had demonstrated the 
existence of such powers in the human mind. 

Another large class of psychological phenomena, which 
has been productive of more conflicting theories than any 
other, and which from time immemorial has puzzled and 
appalled mankind, is by a large class of persons referred to 
the direct agency of the spirits of the dead. It would re- 
quire a volume to catalogue the various theories which have 
been advanced to account for this class of phenomena, and 
wnen done it would serve no useful purpose. It is safe to 
say, however, that no two individuals, whether believers or 
unbelievers in the generic doctrine of spiritism, exactly 
agree as to the ultimate cause of the phenomena. The ob- 
vious reason is that no two persons have had exactly the 
same experience, or have observed exactly the same phe- 
nomena. In the absence of a working hypothesis appli- 
cable to all the infinite variety of facts observed, it follows 
that each investigator must draw his own conclusions from 
the limited field of his own experience. And when we take 
into consideration the important rdle which passion and 
prejudice ever play in the minds of men when the solu- 
tion of an undemonstrable problem is attempted, it is easy 
to see that a bewildering hodge-podge of heterogeneous 
opinions is inevitable. 

Another class of phenomena, about which an infinite va- 
riety of opinions prevails, may be mentioned under the gen- 
eral head of mental therapeutics. Under this generic title 
may be grouped the invocations of the gods by the Egyp- 
tian priests ; the magic formulas of the disciples of Escula- 



24 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

pius ; the sympathetic powder of Paracelsus ; the king's 
touch for the cure of goitre ; the wonderful cures at the 
tomb of Deacon Paris and at Lourdes; the miraculous 
power supposed to reside in the relics of the saints; the 
equally miraculous cures of such men as Greatrakes, of 
Gassner, and of the Abbot Prince of Hohenlohe ; and the 
no less wonderful healing power displayed by the modern 
systems known as mind cure, faith cure, Christian science, 
animal magnetism, and suggestive therapeutics. 

One fact, pregnant with importance, pertains to all these 
systems ; and that is that marvellous cures are constantly 
effected through their agencies. To the casual observer 
it would seem to be almost self-evident that, underlying 
all, there must be some one principle which, once un- 
derstood, would show them to be identical as to cause 
and mode of operation. Yet we find as many conflicting 
theories as there are systems, and as many private opinions 
as there are individuals who accept the facts. Some of the 
hypotheses gravely put forth in books are so bizarre as to 
excite only the pity or the ridicule of the judicious. One 
notable example is found in that system, the basic theory 
of which is that matter has no existence, that nothing is 
real but mind, and that, consequently, disease and pain, 
suffering and death, are mere hallucinations of morbid intel- 
lects. Other theories there are, which, if not equally ab- 
surd, are probably equally remote from the truth ; and each 
treats the persons as well as the opinions of the others with 
that virulent contumely which is the ever-present resort of 
him who would force upon his neighbor the acceptance of 
his own undemonstrable article of faith. Nevertheless, as 
before remarked, the fact remains that each of these sys- 
tems effects some most wonderful results in the way of 
curing certain diseases. 

What is true of the phenomena embraced under the gen- 
eral head of mental therapeutics is also true of the whole 
range of psychological phenomena ; namely, the want of a 
working hypothesis which shall apply to all the facts that 
have been observed and authenticated. 



INTRODUCTORY. 25 

No successful attempt has heretofore been made to sup- 
ply this want ; nor has success been possible until within 
a very recent period, for the simple reason that previous 
to the discovery of certain facts in pyschological science, 
the scientific world was without the necessary data from 
which a correct hypothesis could be formulated. The re- 
searches of Professor Liebault in the domain of hypnotism, 
seconded by those of his pupil, Professor Bernheim, have 
resulted in discoveries which throw a flood of light upon 
the whole field of psychological investigation. Their field 
of observation being confined to hypnotism, and chiefly to 
its employment as a therapeutic agent, it is not probable 
that either of those eminent scientists realized the transcen- 
dent importance of their principal discovery, or perceived 
that it is applicable to psychological phenomena outside the 
domain of their special studies. The discovery is this : that 
hypnotic subjects are constantly amenable to the power of 
suggestion ; that suggestion is the all-potent factor in the 
production of all hypnotic phenomena. This proposition 
has been demonstrated to be true beyond the possibility of 
a reasonable doubt. In subsequent chapters of this' book 
it will be shown that this fact supplies the missing link in 
the chain of propositions necessary for a complete working 
hypothesis for the subject under consideration. 

The general propositions applicable to all phases of psy- 
chological phenomena are here only briefly stated, leaving 
the minor, or subsidiary, propositions necessary for the 
elucidation of particular classes and sub-classes of phe- 
nomena to be stated under their appropriate heads. 

The first proposition relates to the dual character of 
man's mental organization. That is to say, man has, or 
appears to have, two minds, each endowed with separate 
and distinct attributes and powers ; each capable, under 
certain conditions, of independent action. It should be 
clearly understood at the outset that for the purpose of 
arriving at a correct conclusion it is a matter of indifference 
whether we consider that man is endowed with two distinct 
minds, or that his one mind possesses certain attributes and 



26 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

powers under some conditions, and certain other attributes 
and powers under other conditions. It is sufficient to 
know that everything happens just as though he were en- 
dowed with a dual mental organization. 

Under the rules of correct reasoning, therefore, I have a 
right to assume that man has two minds; and the assump- 
tion is so stated, in its broadest terms, as the first proposi- 
tion of my hypothesis. For convenience I shall designate 
the one as the objective mind, and the other as the subjective 
mind. These terms will be more fully explained at the 
proper time. 

The second proposition is, that the subjective mind is 

CONSTANTLY AMENABLE TO CONTROL BY SUGGESTION. 

The third, of subsidiary, proposition is, that the subjec- 
tive MIND IS INCAPABLE OF INDUCTIVE REASONING. 



CHAPTER II. 

DUALITY AND SUGGESTION. 

The Doctrine of the Trinity of Man. — The Greek Philosophy. — 
The Early Christian Fathers. — Hermetic Philosophy. — Sweden- 
borg. — Duality in Modern Philosophy. — " Objective " and 
" Subjective " Minds. — Their Distinctive Differences and Modes 
of Operation. — The Subjective Mind a Distinct Entity. — Illus- 
trations from Hypnotism. — Suggestion. — Auto-Suggestion. — 
Universality of the Law of Suggestion. 

'T^HE broad idea that man is endowed with a dual mental 
*■• organization is far from being new. The essential 
truth of the proposition has been recognized by philoso- 
phers of all ages and nations of the civilized world. That 
man is a trinity, made up of " body, soul, and spirit," was a 
cardinal tenet in the faith of many ancient Greek philoso- 
phers, who thus clearly recognized the dual character of 
man's mental or spiritual organization. Plato's idea of 
terrestrial man was that he is a " trinity of soul, soul-body, 
and earth-body." The mystic jargon of the Hermetic 
philosophers discloses the same general idea. The " salt, 
sulphur, and mercury " of the ancient alchemists doubtless 
refers to man as being composed of a trinity of elements. 
The early Christian Fathers confidently proclaimed the same 
doctrine, as is shown in the writings of Clement, Origen, 
Tatian, and other early exponents of Christian doctrine. 

Indeed, it may be safely assumed that the conception of 
this fundamental truth was more or less clearly defined in 
the minds of all ancient philosophers, both Christian and 
pagan. It is the basis of their conception of God as a 
Trinity in his personality, modes of existence, and manifes- 



28 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

tations, — a conception of which Schelling says : " The 
philosophy of mythology proves that a trinity of divine 
potentialities is the root from which have grown the reli- 
gious ideas of all nations of any importance that are known 
to us." 

In later times, Swedenborg, believing himself to be di- 
vinely inspired, declared that "There appertain to every 
man an internal man, a rational man, and an external man, 
which is properly called the natural man." Again, he tells 
us that there are three natures, or degrees of life, in man, 
— "the natural, the spiritual, and the celestial." 

Of modern writers who accept the dual theory, Professor 
Wigan, Dr. Brown-Sequard, and Professor Proctor are notable 
examples. Numerous facts are cited by these writers, de- 
monstrating the broad fact of duality of mind, although 
their theory of causation, based on cerebral anatomy, will 
not bear a moment's examination in the light of the facts of 
hypnotic science. 

In more recent years 1 the doctrine of duality of mind is 
beginning to be more clearly defined, and it may now be 
said to constitute a cardinal principle in the philosophy of 
many of the ablest exponents of the new psychology. 

Thousands of examples might be cited to show that in all 
the ages the truth has been dimly recognized by men of all 
civilized races and in all conditions of life. Indeed, it may 
be safely predicated of every man of intelligence and re- 
finement that he has often felt within himself an intelligence 
not the result of education, a perception of truth indepen- 
dent of the testimony of his bodily senses. 

It is natural to suppose that a proposition, the substantial 
correctness of which has been so widely recognized, must 
not only possess a solid basis of truth, but must, if clearly 
understood, possess a veritable significance of the utmost 
importance to mankind. 

Hitherto, however, no successful attempt has been made 

1 Since the above was written, Du Prel's able and interesting work, 
entitled " The Philosophy of Mysticism," has appeared, in which the 
dual theory is demonstrated beyond question by reference to the 
phenomena of dreams. 



DUALITY AND SUGGESTION. 29 

to define clearly the nature of the two elements which con- 
stitute the dual mind; nor has the fact been recognized 
that the two minds possess distinctive characteristics. It is 
a fact, nevertheless, that the line of demarcation between 
the two is clearly defined; that their functions are essen- 
tially unlike ; that each is endowed with separate and dis- 
tinct attributes and powers ; and that each is capable, under 
certain conditions and limitations, of independent action. 

For want of a better nomenclature, I shall distinguish the 
two by designating the one as objective, and the other as 
subjective. In doing so the commonly received definitions 
of the two words will be slightly modified and extended ; 
but inasmuch as they more nearly express my exact mean- 
ing than any others that occur to me, I prefer to use them 
rather than attempt to coin new ones. 

In general terms the difference between man's two minds 
may be stated as follows : — 

The objective mind takes cognizance of the . objective 
world. Its media of observation are the five physical 
senses. It is the outgrowth of man's physical necessities. 
It is his guide in his struggle with his material environment. 
Its highest function is that of reasoning. 

The subjective mind takes cognizance of its environment 
by means independent of the physical senses. It perceives 
by intuition. It is the seat of the emotions, and the store- 
house of memory. It performs its highest functions when 
the objective senses are in abeyance. In a word, it is that 
intelligence which makes itself manifest in a hypnotic sub- 
ject when he is in a state of somnambulism. 

In this state many of the most wonderful feats of the 
subjective mind are performed. It sees without the use of 
the natural organs of vision ; and in this, as in many other 
grades, or degrees, of the hypnotic state, it can be made, 
apparently, to leave the body, and travel to distant lands 
and bring back intelligence, oftentimes of the most exact 
and truthful character. It also has the power to read the 
thoughts of others, even to the minutest details ; to read the 
contents of sealed envelopes and of closed books. In short, 
it is the subjective mind that possesses what is popularly 



30 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

designated as clairvoyant power, and the ability to appre- 
hend the thoughts of others without the aid of the ordinary, 
objective means of communication. 

— ^In point of fact, that which, for convenience, I have 
chosen to designate as the subjective mind, appears to be a 
separate and distinct entity ; and the real distinctive differ- 
ence between the two minds seems to consist in the fact 
that the " objective mind " is merely the function of the phy- 
sical brain, while the " subjective mind ' ■ is a distinct entity, 
possessing independent powers and functions, having a 
mental organization of its own, and being capable of sus- 
taining an existence independently of the body. In other 
words, it is the soul. The reader would do well to bear 
this distinction clearly in mind as we proceed. 

One of the most important, as well as one of the most 
striking, points of difference between the two minds, relates 
to the subject of suggestion. It is in this that the re- 
searches of the modern hypnotists give us the most impor- 
tant aid. Whether we agree with the Paris school in giving 
to suggestion a secondary place among the causes of hyp- 
notic phenomena, or with the Nancy school in ascribing 
all the phenomena to the potentiality of suggestion, there 
can be no doubt of the fact that when suggestion is actively 
and intelligently employed, it is always effective. The fol- 
lowing propositions, therefore, will not be disputed by any 
intelligent student of hypnotism : — 

i. That the objective mind, or, let us say, man in his 
normal condition, is not controllable, against reason, posi- 
tive knowledge, or the evidence of his senses, by the sug- 
gestions of another. 

2. That the subjective mind, or man in the hypnotic 
state, is unqualifiedly and constantly amenable to the power 
of suggestion. 

That is to say, the subjective mind accepts, without 
hesitation or doubt, every statement that is made to it, 
no matter how absurd or incongruous or contrary to the 
objective experience of the individual. If a subject is 
told that he is a dog, he will instantly accept the sugges- 
tion, and, to the limit of physical possibility, act the part 



DUALITY AND SUGGESTION. 3 1 

suggested. If he is told that he is the President of the 
United States, he will act the part with wonderful fidelity to 
life. If he is told that he is in the presence of angels, he 
will be profoundly moved to acts of devotion. If the pres- 
ence of devils is suggested, his terror will be instant, and 
painful to behold. He may be thrown into a state of _ 
intoxication by being caused to drink a glass of water 
under the impression that it is brandy ; or he may be re- 
stored to sobriety by the administration of brandy, under 
the guise of an antidote to drunkenness. If told that he 
is in a high fever, his pulse will become rapid, his face 
flushed, and his temperature increased. In short, he may 
be made to see, hear, feel, smell, or taste anything, in obe- 
dience to suggestion. He may be raised to the highest 
degree of mental or physical exaltation by the same power, 
or be plunged by it into the lethargic or cataleptic condition, 
simulating death. 

These are fundamental facts, known and acknowledged 
by every student of the science of hypnotism. There is 
another principle, however, which must be mentioned in 
this connection, which is apparently not so well understood 
by hypnotists generally. I refer to the phenomenon of 
auto-suggestion. Professor Bernheim and others have rec- 
ognized its existence, and its power to modify the results of 
experiments in one class of hypnotic phenomena, but ap- 
parently have failed to appreciate its full significance. It 
is, in fact, of coextensive importance with the general prin- 
ciple, or law, of suggestion, and is an essential part of it. 
It modifies every phenomenon, and sometimes seems to 
form an exception to the general law. Properly understood, 
however, it will be seen, not only to emphasize that law, but 
to harmonize all the facts which form apparent exceptions % 
to it. 

The two minds being possessed of independent powers 
and functions, it follows as a necessary corollary that the 
subjective mind of an individual is as amenable to the con- 
trol of his own objective mind as to the objective mind of 
another. This we find to be true in a thousand ways. For 
instance, it is well known that a person cannot be hypno- 



32 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

tized against his will. As the hypnotic condition is usually 
induced by the suggestion of the operator, his failure is due 
to the contrary auto-suggestion of the subject. Again, if the 
subject submits to be hypnotized, but resolves beforehand 
that he will not submit to certain anticipated experiments, 
the experiments are sure to fail. One of the finest hypnotic 
subjects known to the writer would never allow himself to 
be placed in a position before a company which he would 
shrink from in his normal condition. He was possessed of 
a remarkable dignity of character, and was highly sensitive 
to ridicule ; and this sensitiveness stepped in to his defence, 
and rendered abortive every attempt to cause him to place 
himself in a ridiculous attitude. Again, if a hypnotic sub- [ 
ject is conscientiously opposed to the use of strong drink, '■> 
no amount of persuasion on the part of the operator can 
induce him to violate his settled principles. And so on, 
through all the varying phases of hypnotic phenomena, auto- 
suggestion plays its subtle role, often confounding the oper- 
ator by resistance where he expected passive obedience. It 
does not militate against the force of the rule that sugges- 
tion is the. all- controlling power which moves the subjective 
mind. On- the contrary, it confirms it, demonstrates its 
never-failing accuracy. It shows, however, that the stronger 
suggestion must always prevail. It demonstrates, moreover, 
that the hypnotic subject is not the passive, unreasoning, 
and irresponsible automaton which hypnotists, ancient and 
modern, have believed him to be. 

As this is one of the most important branches of the 
whole subject of psychological phenomena, it will be more 
fully treated when the various divisions of the subject to 
which the principle is applicable are reached. In the 
mean time, the student should not for a moment lose sight 
of this one fundamental fact, that the subjective mind is 
always amenable to the power of suggestion by the ob- 
jective mind, either that of the individual himself, or that 
of another who has, for the time being, assumed control. 



CHAPTER III. 

REASONING POWERS OF THE TWO MINDS DIFFERENTIATED. 

The Subjective Mind incapable of Inductive Reasoning. — Its Pro- 
cesses always Deductive or Syllogistic. — Its Premises the Result 
of Suggestion. — Illustrations by Hypnotism. — Hypnotic Inter- 
view with Socrates. — Reasons from an Assumed Major Premise. 
— Interview with a Philosophic Pig. — The Pig affirms the Doc- 
trine of Reincarnation. — Dogmatism of Subjective Intelligence. — 
Incapable of Controversial Argument. — Persistency in following a 
Suggested Line of Thought. 

ONE of the most important distinctions between the 
objective and subjective minds pertains to the func- 
tion of reason. That there is a radical difference in their 
powers and methods of reasoning is a fact which has not 
been noted by any psychologist who has written on the 
subject. It is, nevertheless, a proposition which will be 
readily conceded to be essentially true by every observer 
when his attention is once called to it. The propositions 
may be briefly stated as follows : — 

i. The objective mind is capable of reasoning by all 
methods, — inductive and deductive, analytic and synthetic. 

2. The subjective mind is incapable of inductive rea- 
soning. 

Let it here be understood that this proposition refers to 
the powers and functions of the purely subjective mind, as 
exhibited in the mental operations of persons in a state of 
profound hypnotism, or trance. The prodigious intellectual 
feats of persons in that condition have been a source of 
amazement in all the ages ; but the striking peculiarity noted 
above appears to have been lost sight of in admiration o( 

3 



34 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA, 

the other qualities exhibited. In other words, it has never 
been noted that their reasoning is always deductive, or 
syllogistic. The subjective mind never classifies a series 
of known facts, and reasons from them up to general prin- 
ciples ; but, given a general principle to start with, it will 
reason deductively from that down to all legitimate infer- 
ences, with a marvellous cogency and power. Place a man 
of intelligence and cultivation in the hypnotic state, and 
give him a premise, say in the form of a statement of a 
general principle of philosophy, and no matter what may 
have been his opinions in his normal condition, he will 
unhesitatingly, in obedience to the power of suggestion, 
assume the correctness of the proposition ; and if given 
an opportunity to discuss the question, will proceed to de- 
duce therefrom the details of a whole system of philosophy, 
Every conclusion will be so clearly and logically deducible 
from the major premise, and withal so plausible and con- 
sistent, that the listener will almost forget that the premise 
was assumed. To illustrate : — 

The writer once saw Professor Carpenter, of Boston, place 
a young gentleman in the hypnotic state at a private gather- 
ing in the city of Washington. The company was com- 
posed of highly cultivated ladies and gentlemen of all shades 
of religious belief; and the young man himself — who will 
be designated as C — was a cultured gentle*nan, pos- 
sessed a decided taste for philosophical studies, and was a 
graduate of a leading college. In his normal condition he 
was liberal in his views on religious subjects, and, though 
always unprejudiced and open to conviction, was a decided 
unbeliever in modern spiritism. Knowing his love of the 
classics and his familiarity with the works of the Greek 
philosophers, the professor asked him how he should like to 
have a personal interview with Socrates. 

" I should esteem it a great privilege, if Socrates were 
alive," answered C. 

"It is true that Socrates is dead," replied the professor; 
" but I can invoke his spirit and introduce you to him. 
There he stands now," exclaimed the professor, pointing 
towards a corner of the room. 



REASONING POWERS OF THE TWO MINDS. 35 

C looked in the direction indicated, and at once arose, 
with a look of the most reverential awe depicted on his 
countenance. The professor went through the ceremonial 
of a formal presentation, and C, almost speechless with em- 
barrassment, bowed with the most profound reverence, and 
offered the supposed spirit a chair. Upon being assured 
by the professor that Socrates was willing and anxious to 
answer any question that might be put to him, C at once 
began a series of questions, hesitatingly and with evident 
embarrassment at first ; but, gathering courage as he pro- 
ceeded, he catechised the Greek philosopher for over two 
hours, interpreting the answers to the professor as he re- 
ceived them. His questions embraced the whole cosmogony 
of the universe and a wide range of spiritual philosophy. 
They were remarkable for their pertinency, and the answers 
were no less remarkable for their clear-cut and sententious 
character, and were couched in the most elegant and lofty 
diction, such as Socrates himself might be supposed to em- 
ploy. But the most remarkable of all was the wonderful 
system of spiritual philosophy evolved. It was so clear, so 
plausible, and so perfectly consistent with itself and the 
known laws of Nature that the company sat spell-bound 
through it all, each one almost persuaded, for the time 
being, that he was listening to a voice from the other world. 
Indeed, so profound was the impression that some of them 
— not spiritists, but members of the Christian Church — 
then and there announced their conviction that C was actu- 
ally conversing either with the spirit of Socrates or with some 
equally high intelligence. 

At subsequent gatherings other pretended spirits were 
called up, among them some of the more modern philoso- 
phers, and one or two who could not be dignified with that 
title. When a modern spirit was invoked, the whole man- 
ner of C changed. He was more at his ease, and the con- 
versation on both sides assumed a purely nineteenth-century 
tone. But the philosophy was the same ; there was never 
a lapse or an inconsistency. With the introduction of every 
new spirit there was a decided change of diction and char- 
acter and general style of conversation, and each one was 



36 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

always the same, whenever reintroduced. If the persons 
themselves had been present, their distinctive peculiarities 
could not have been more marked ; but if all that was said 
could have been printed in a book verbatim, it would have 
formed one of the grandest and most coherent systems of 
spiritual philosophy ever conceived by the brain of man, 
and its only blemish would have been the frequent change 
of the style of diction. 

It must not be forgotten that C was not a spiritist, and 
that the whole bent of his mind inclined to materialism. 
He frequently expressed the most profound astonishment at 
the replies he received. This was held to be an evidence 
that the replies were not evolved from his own inner con- 
sciousness. Indeed, it was strenuously urged by some of 
the company present that he must have been talking with 
an independent intelligence, else his answers would have 
coincided with his own belief while in his normal condition. 
The conclusive answer to that proposition is this : He was 
in the subjective state. He had been told that he was talk- 
ing face to face with a disembodied spirit of superior intel- 
ligence. He believed the statement implicitly, in obedience 
to the law of suggestion. He saw, or thought he saw, a 
disembodied spirit. The inference, for him, was irresisti- 
ble that this was a demonstration of the truth of spiritism ; 
that being assumed, the rest followed as a natural inference. 
He was, then, simply reasoning deductively from an as- 
sumed major premise, thrust upon him, as it were, by the 
irresistible force of a positive suggestion. His reasoning 
was perfect of its kind, there was not a flaw in it ; but it 
was purely syllogistic, from general principles to particular 
facts. 

It will doubtless be said that this does not prove that he 
was not in actual converse with a spirit. True ; and if the 
conversation had been confined to purely philosophical sub- 
jects, its exalted character would have furnished plausible 
grounds for a belief that he was actually in communion with 
the inhabitants of a world where pure intelligence reigns 
supreme. But test questions were put to one of the sup- 
posed spirits, with a view of determining this point. One 



REASONING POWERS OF THE TWO MINDS. 37 

of them was asked where he died. His reply was, " In a 
little town rjear Boston." The fact is that he had lived 
in a little town near Boston, and the somnambulist knew if. 
But he died in a foreign land, — a fact which the somnambu- 
list did not know. C was subsequently, when in his normal 
condition, informed of the failure of this test question, and 
was told at the same time what the facts were concerning 
the circumstances of the death of the gentleman whose 
spirit was invoked. He was amused at the failure, as well 
as at the credulity of those who had believed that he had 
been in conversation with spirits ; but at a subsequent sit- 
ting he was again informed that the same spirit was present, 
and he at once manifested the most profound indignation 
because of the deception which had been practised upon 
him by the said spirit, and demanded an explanation of the 
falsehood which he had told concerning the place of his 
death. Then was exhibited one of the most curious phases 
of subjective intelligence. The spirit launched out into a 
philosophical disquisition on the subject of spirit commu- 
nion, and defined the limitations of spiritual intercourse 
with the inhabitants of this earth in such a philosophical 
and plausible manner that not only was the young man 
mollified, but the spiritists present felt that they had scored 
a triumph, and had at last heard an authoritative explana- 
tion of the fact that spirits are limited in their knowledge 
of their own antecedents by that of the medium through 
whom they communicate. 

For the benefit of those who will say that there is, after 
all, no proof that C was not in actual communication with a 
superior intelligence, .it must be stated that at a subsequent 
seance he was introduced to a very learned and very philo- 
sophical pig, who spoke all the modern languages with which 
C was acquainted, and appeared to know as much about 
spiritual philosophy as did the ancient Greek. C had been 
told that the pig was a reincarnation of a Hindoo priest 
whose " karma " had been a little off color, but who retained 
a perfect recollection of his former incarnation, and had 
not forgotten his learning. It is perhaps unnecessary to 
say that the pig was able to, and did, give a very learned 



38 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

and eminently satisfactory exposition of the doctrine of re ■ 
incarnation and of Hindoo philosophy in general. As C 
was then fresh from his reading of some modern theosophi- 
cal works, he was apparently much gratified to find that they 
were in substantial accord with the views of the pig. 

The inference to be drawn from these facts is obvious and 
irresistible : the subjective mind of the young man accepted 
the suggestion of the operator as an absolute verity. The 
deductions from the premises thus given were evolved from 
his own inner consciousness. But that he believed them to 
have been imparted to him by a spirit, is as certain as that 
he believed that he saw a spirit. 

It must not be understood from the statement of the gen- 
eral proposition regarding the subjective processes of rea- 
soning that persons in the subjective state necessarily go 
through the forms of syllogistic reasoning. On the contrary, 
they seldom, if ever, employ the forms of the syllogism, and 
it is rare that their discourses are argumentative. They 
are generally, in fact, dogmatic to the last degree. It nevei 
seems to occur to them that what they state to be a fact can 
possibly be, in the slightest degree, doubtful. A doubt, 
expressed or implied, of their perfect integrity, of the 
correctness of their statements, or of the genuineness of the 
phenomena which is being exhibited through them, invari- 
ably results in confusion and distress of mind. Hence they 
are incapable of controversial argument, — a fact which con- 
stitutes another important distinction between the objective 
and subjective minds, To traverse openly the statements 
of a person in the subjective state, is certain to restore him 
to the normal condition, often with a severe nervous shock. 
The explanation of these facts is easy to find in the constant 
amenability of the subjective mind to the power of sugges- 
tion. They are speaking or acting from the standpoint of 
one suggestion, and to controvert it is to offer a counter 
suggestion which is equally potent with the first. The 
result is, and must necessarily be, utter confusion of mind 
and nervous excitement on the part of the subject. These 
facts have an important bearing upon many psychological 
phenomena, and will be adverted to more at length in future 



REASONING POWERS OF THE TWO MINDS. 39 

chapters, my present purpose being merely to impress upon 
the reader's mind the general principles governing subjective 
mental phenomena. 

It will be seen from the foregoing that when it is stated 
that the subjective mind reasons deductively, the results of 
its reasoning processes are referred to rather than its forms. 
That is to say, whilst it may not employ the forms of the syllo- 
gism, its conclusions are syllogistically correct, — are logically 
deducible from the premises imparted to it by suggestion. 
This peculiarity seems to arise from, or to be the necessary 
result of, the persistency with which the subjective mind will 
follow every idea suggested. It is well known to hypnotists 
that when an idea is suggested to a subject, no matter of how 
trivial a character, he will persist in following that idea to its 
ultimate conclusion, or until the operator releases him from 
the impression. For instance, if a hypnotist suggests to 
one of his subjects that his back itches, to another that his 
nose bleeds, to another that he is a marble statue, to another 
that he is an animal, etc., each one will follow out the line 
of his particular impression, regardless of the presence of 
others, and totally oblivious to all his surroundings which do 
not pertain to his idea ; and he will persist in doing so until 
the impression is removed by the same power by which it 
was created. The same principle prevails when a thought 
is suggested and the subject is invited to deliver a discourse 
thereon. He will accept the suggestion as his major pre- 
mise ; and whatever there is within the range of his own 
knowledge or experience, whatever he has seen, heard, 01 
read, which confirms or illustrates that idea, he has at his 
command and effectually uses it, but is apparently totally 
oblivious to all facts or ideas which do not confirm, and are 
not in accord with, the one central idea. It is obvious that 
inductive reasoning, under such conditions, is out of the 
question. 



CHAPTER IV. 

PERFECT MEMORY OF THE SUBJECTIVE MIND. 

Confirmed by Hypnotic Phenomena. — Opinions of Psychologists.— 
Sir William Hamilton's Views. — Observations of Dr. Rush. — 
Talent for Poetry and Music developed by Abnormal Conditions. 

— Talent for Drawing evolved by Madness. — Resuscitation of 
Knowledge in the Insane. — Extraordinary Feats of Memory dur 
ing Illness. — A Forgotten Language recovered. — Whole Pages 
of Greek and Hebrew remembered by an Illiterate Servant Girl. 

— Speaking in Unknown Tongues explained. — The Result of the 
Operations of Natural Law. 



ONE of the most striking and important peculiarities of 
the subjective mind, as distinguished from the objec- 
tive, consists in its prodigious memory. It would perhaps be 
hazardous to say that the memory of the subjective mind is 
perfect, but there is good ground for believing that such a 
proposition would be substantially true. It must be under- 
stood that this remark applies only to the most profoundly 
subjective state and to the most favorable conditions. In 
all degrees of hypnotic sleep, however, the exaltation of the 
memory is one of the most pronounced of the attendant 
phenomena. This has been observed by all hypnotists, 
especially by those who make their experiments with a 
view of studying the mental action of the subject. Psychol- 
ogists of all shades of belief have recognized the phenom- 
ena, and many have declared their conviction that the 
minutest details of acquired knowledge are recorded upon 
the tablets of the mind, and that they only require favorable 
conditions to reveal their treasures. 



PERFECT MEMORY OF THE SUBJECTIVE MIND. 41 

Sir William Hamilton, in his " Lectures on Metaphysics," 
page 236, designates the phenomenon as " latent memory." 
He says : — 

" The evidence on this point shows that the mind frequently 
contains whole systems of knowledge, which, though in our 
normal state they have faded into absolute oblivion, may, in 
certain abnormal states — as madness, febrile delirium, som- 
nambulism, catalepsy, etc. — flash out into luminous conscious- 
ness, and even throw into the shade of unconsciousness those 
other systems by which they had, for a long period, been 
eclipsed, and even extinguished. For example, there are cases 
in which the extinct memory of whole languages was suddenly 
restored ; and, what is even still more remarkable, in which the 
faculty was exhibited of accurately repeating, in known or un- 
known tongues, passages which were never within the grasp of 
conscious memory in the normal state." 

Sir William then proceeds to quote, with approval, a few 
cases which illustrate the general principle. The first is on 
the authority of Dr. Rush, a celebrated American physician : 

" The records of the wit and cunning of madmen," says the 
doctor, " are numerous in every country. Talents for eloquence, 
poetry, music, and painting, and uncommon ingenuity in several 
of the mechanical arts, are often evolved in this state of mad- 
ness. A gentleman whom I attended in an hospital in the year 
1810, often delighted as well as astonished the patients and 
officers of our hospital by his displays of oratory in preaching 
from a table in the hospital yard every Sunday. A female pa- 
tient of mine who became insane, after parturition, in the year 
1807, sang hymns and songs of her own composition during the 
latter stage of her illness, with a tone of voice so soft and pleas- 
ant that I hung upon it with delight every time I visited her. 
She had never discovered a talent for poetry or music in any 
previous part of her life. Two instances of a talent for draw- 
ing, evolved by madness, have occurred within my knowledge. 
And where is the hospital for mad people in which elegant and 
completely rigged ships and curious pieces of machinery have 
not been exhibited by persons who never discovered the least 
turn for a mechanical art previous to their derangement ? 

" Sometimes we observe in mad people an unexpected resus- 
citation of knowledge ; hence we hear them describe past events, 
and speak in ancient or modern languages, or repeat long and 



42 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

interesting passages from books, none of which, we are sure, 
they were capable of recollecting in the natural and healthy 
state of their mind." l 

It must be remembered that when these events occurred, 
the profession knew little of the phenomena of hypnotism. 
In the light of present knowledge on that subject it is easy 
to understand that the phenomena here recorded are refer- 
able to one common origin, whatever may have been the 
proximate cause of their manifestation. There are many 
ways by which the subjective mind may be caused to be- 
come active and dominant besides deliberately producing 
hypnotic sleep. Diseases of various kinds, particularly those 
of the brain or nervous system, and intense febrile excite- 
ment, are frequently causes of the total or partial suspension 
of the functions of the objective mind, and of exciting the 
subjective mind to intense activity. 

The next case quoted by Sir William is from " Recollec- 
tions of the Valley of the Mississippi," by an American 
clergyman named Flint : — 

" I am aware," he remarks, " that every sufferer in this way 
is apt to think his own case extraordinary. My physicians 
agreed with all who saw me that my case was so. As very few 
live to record the issue of a sickness like mine, and as you have 
requested me, and as I have promised, to be particular, I will 
relate some of the circumstances of this disease. And it is in 
my view desirable, in the bitter agony of such diseases, that 
more of the symptoms, sensations, and sufferings should have 
been recorded than have been; and that others in similar pre- 
dicaments may know that some before them have had sufferings 
like theirs, and have survived them. I had had a fever before, 
and had risen, and been dressed every day. But in this, with 
the first day I was prostrated to infantine weakness, and felt, 
with its first attack, that it was a thing very different from what 
I had yet experienced. 

" Paroxysms of derangement occurred the third day, and this 
was to me a new state of mind. That state of disease in which 
partial derangement is mixed with a consciousness generally 
sound, and sensibility preternaturally excited, I should suppose 
the most distressing of all its forms. At the same time that I 

1 Beasley on the Mind, p. 474. 



PERFECT MEMORY OF THE SUBJECTIVE MIND. 43 

was unable to recognize my friends, I was informed that my 
memory was more than ordinarily exact and retentive, and that 
I repeated whole passages in the different languages which I 
knew, with entire accuracy. I recited, without losing or mis- 
placing a word, a passage of poetry which I could not so repeat 
after I recovered my health." 

The following more curious case is given by Lord Mon- 
boddo in his "Ancient Metaphysics " : 1 — 

" It was communicated in a letter from the late Mr. Hans 
Stanley, a gentleman well known both to the learned and poli- 
tical world, who did me the honor to correspond with me upon 
the subject of my first volume of Metaphysics. I will give 
it in the words of that gentleman. He introduces it by saying 
that it is an extraordinary fact in the history of mind, which 
he believes stands single, and for which he does not pretend 
to account ; then he goes on to narrate it : ' About six-and-twenty 
years ago, when I was in France, I had an intimacy in the 
family of the late Mar^chal de Montmorenci de Laval. His 
son, the Comte de Laval, was married to Mademoiselle de Man- 
peaux, the daughter of a lieutenant-general of that name, and 
the niece of the late chancellor. This gentleman was killed at 
the battle of Hastenbeck. His widow survived him some years, 
but is since dead. 

" ' The following fact comes from her own mouth ; she has 
told it me repeatedly. She was a woman of perfect veracity 
and very good sense. She appealed to her servants and family 
for the truth. Nor did she, indeed, seem to be sensible that the 
matter was so extraordinary as it appeared to me. I wrote it 
down at the time, and I have the memorandum among some of 
my papers. 

" ' The Comtesse de Laval had been observed, by servants 
who sat up with her on account of some indisposition, to talk in 
her sleep a language that none of them understood ; nor were 
they sure, or, indeed, herself able to guess, upon the sounds 
being repeated to her, whether it was or was not gibberish. 

" ' Upon her lying-in of one of her children she was attended 
by a nurse who was of the province of Brittany, and who imme- 
diately knew the meaning of what she said, it being in the idiom 
of the natives of that country ; but she herself when awake did 
not understand a single syllable of what she had uttered in her 
sleep, upon its being retold her. 

1 Vol. ii. p. 217. 



44 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

" ' She was born in that province, and had been nursed in a 
family where nothing but that language was spoken ; so that in 
her first infancy she had known it, and no other ; but when she 
returned to her parents, she had no opportunity of keeping up 
the use of it ; and, as I have before said, she did not under- 
stand a word of Breton when awake, though she spoke it in her 
sleep. 

" ' I need not say that the Comtesse de Laval never said or 
imagined that she used any words of the Breton idiom, more 
than were necessary to express those ideas that are within the 
compass of a child's knowledge of objects.' " 

A highly interesting case is given by Mr. Coleridge in his 
" Biographia Literaria." 1 

" It occurred," says Mr. Coleridge, " in a Roman Catholic 
town in Germany, a year or two before my arrival at Gottingen, 
and had not then ceased to be a frequent subject of conversa- 
tion. A young woman of four or five and twenty, who could 
neither read nor write, was seized with a nervous fever, during 
which, according to the asseverations of all the priests and 
monks of the neighborhood, she became possessed, and as it 
appeared, by a very learned devil. She continued incessantly 
talking Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, in very pompous tones, and 
with most distinct enunciation. This possession was rendered 
more probable by the known fact that she was, or had been, a 
heretic. Voltaire humorously advises the devil to decline all 
acquaintance with medical men ; and it would have been more 
to his reputation if he had taken this advice in the present in- 
stance. The case had attracted the particular attention of a 
young physician, and by his statement many eminent physiolo- 
gists and psychologists visited the town and cross-examined the 
case on the spot. Sheets full of her ravings were taken down 
from her own mouth, and were found to consist of sentences, 
coherent and intelligible each for itself, but with little or no 
connection with each other. Of the Hebrew, a small portion 
only could be traced to the Bible ; the remainder seemed to be 
in the Rabbinical dialect. All trick or conspiracy was out of 
the question. Not only had the young woman ever been a 
harmless, simple creature, but she was evidently laboring under 
a nervous fever. In the town in which she had been resident 
for many years as a servant in different families, no solution 

1 Vol. i. p. 117 (edit. 1847). 



PERFECT MEMORY OF THE SUBJECTIVE MIND. 45 

presented itself. The young physician, however, determined to 
trace her past life step by step; for the patient herself was. 
incapable of returning a rational answer. He at length suc- 
ceeded in discovering the place where her parents had lived ; 
travelled thither, found them dead, but an uncle surviving ; and 
from him learned that the patient had been charitably taken by 
an old Protestant pastor at nine years old, and had remained 
with him some years, even till the old man's death. Of this 
pastor the uncle knew nothing, but that he was a very good 
man. With great difficulty, and after much search, our young 
medical philosopher discovered a niece of the pastor's who had 
lived with him as his housekeeper, and had inherited his effects. 
She remembered the girl; related that her venerable uncle had 
been too indulgent, and could not bear to hear the girl scolded ; 
that she was willing to have kept her, but that, after her parent's 
death, the girl herself refused to stay. Anxious inquiries were 
then, of course, made concerning the pastor's habits ; and the 
solution of the phenomenon was soon obtained. For it appeared 
that it had been the old man's custom for years to walk up and 
down a passage of his house into which the kitchen-door opened, 
and to read to himself, with a loud voice, out of his favorite 
books. A considerable number of these were still in the niece's 
possession. She added that he was a very learned man and a 
great Hebraist. Among the books were found a collection of 
Rabbinical writings, together with several of the Greek and 
Latin Fathers; and the physician succeeded in identifying so 
many passages with those taken down at the young woman's 
bedside that no doubt could remain in any rational mind con- 
cerning the true origin of the impressions made on her nervous 
system." 

The reader will not fail to observe that in all these cases 
the subjects reproduced simply what they had seen, heard, 
or read. The impressions upon the objective mind, par- 
ticularly in the case related by Coleridge, must have been 
superficial to the last degree ; but the result demonstrated 
that the record upon the tablets of the subjective mind was 
ineffaceable. 

These are not isolated cases. Thousands of similar phe- 
nomena have been recorded by the most trustworthy of 
observers. Their significance cannot be mistaken. In 
their light the wonderful mental feats of trance-speakers 
are easily explicable, without invoking the aid of a super- 



46 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

natural agency. Speaking " in unknown tongues " is seen 
to be merely a feat of subjective memory. 

When we consider what a prodigy of learning the average 
man would be if he could have at his command all that he 
had ever seen, heard, or read ; when we remember that the 
subjective mind does record, and does have at its com- 
mand, all the experiences of the individual, and that, under 
certain abnormal conditions, in obedience to the initial 
impulse of suggestion, all its treasures are instantly avail- 
able, — we may marvel at the wonderful gifts with which the 
human mind is endowed ; but we may rest assured that the 
phenomena displayed are the results of the operations of 
natural law. 

The reader should distinctly bear in mind that there is a 
wide distinction between objective and subjective memory. 
The former is one of the functions of the brain, and, as has 
been shown by recent investigations, has an absolute local- 
ization in the cerebral cortex ; and the .different varieties of 
memory, such as visual memory, auditory memory, memory 
of speech, etc., can be destroyed by localized disease or 
by a surgical operation. Subjective memory, on the other 
hand, appears to be an inherent power, and free from ana- 
tomical relations ; or at least it does not appear to depend 
upon the healthy condition of the brain for its power of 
manifestation. On the contrary, the foregoing facts demon- 
strate the proposition that abnormal conditions of the brain 
are often productive of the most striking exhibitions of sub- 
jective memory. The late Dr. George M. Beard of New 
York, who was the first American scientist clearly to recog- 
nize the scientific importance of the phenomena of hypno- 
tism, who was the formulator of the " Six Sources of Error " 
which beset the pathway of the investigator of that science, 
and the one who did more than any other American of his 
time to place the study of hypnotic phenomena on a scien- 
tific basis, evinces a clear recognition of this distinction 
when he says : — 

" To attempt to build up a theory of trance [hypnotic phenom- 
ena] on a basis of cerebral anatomy is to attempt the impossible. 



PERFECT MEMORY OF THE SUBJECTIVE MIND. 47 

All theories of trance based on cerebral anatomy or physiology 
— such as suspension of the activity of the cortex, or half the 
brain — break down at once when brought face to face with the 
facts." 1 

All the facts of hypnotism show that the more quies- 
cent the objective faculties become, or, in other words, the 
more perfectly the functions of the brain are suspended, 
the more exalted are the manifestations of the subjective 
mind. Indeed, the whole history of subjective phenomena 
goes to show that the nearer the body approaches the con- 
dition of death, the stronger become the demonstrations of 
the powers of the soul. The irresistible inference is that 
when the soul is freed entirely from its trammels of flesh, 
its powers will attain perfection, its memory will be abso- 
lute. Of this more will be said in its proper place. In the 
mean time, it may be proper here to remark that subjective 
memory appears to be the only kind or quality of memory 
which deserves that appellation ; it is the only memory 
which is absolute. The memory of the objective mind, 
comparatively speaking, is more properly designated as 
recollection. The distinction here sought to be made can 
be formulated in no better language than that employed by 
Locke in defining the scope and meaning of the two words : 
" When an idea again recurs without the operation of the 
like object on the external sensory, it is remembrance ; if 
it be sought after by the mind, and with pain and endeavor 
found, and brought again into view, it is recollection." 2 

1 Nature and Phenomena of Trance (" Hypnotism " or " Somnam- 
bulism"), p. 6. 

2 Essays Concerning Human Understanding, vol. i. p. 213. 



CHAPTER V. 



subjective memory {continued). 



Practical Illustrations. — Reasons for Limitations of Subjective 
Power. — Its Practical Significance. — Its Application to the So- 
lution of Problems of Insanity. — The Mental Phenomena of 
" Genius." — Napoleon Bonaparte. — Shakspeare. — Poets. — 
Artists. — Macaulay's Estimate of Poets and Poetry. — Dangers 
of Subjective Control. — Lord Byron. — Socrates' Estimate of 
Poets. — His Recognition of the Subjective Element in Poetic 
Composition. — Occasional Inconveniences. — Unconscious Pla- 
giarism. — Observations of Holmes. — Improvisation. — Solution 
of the Shakspeare-Bacon Problem. — The Subjective in Art. — 
Madness in Art. — Great Orators. — Webster. — Clay. — Patrick 
Henry. — Incidents. — Practical Conclusions. 

IT is thought that the facts related in the preceding chap- 
*■ ter are sufficient to demonstrate the substantial correct- 
ness of the proposition that the memory of the subjective 
mind is practically perfect. Before leaving this branch of 
the subject, however, and proceeding to detail other pecu- 
liarities which distinguish the two minds, it is deemed proper 
to offer a few practical illustrations of the principles in- 
volved, drawn from common observation, and incidentally 
to apply those principles to the solution of various prob- 
lems of every-day experience. It will be remembered that 
thus far we have confined our observations to the opera- 
tions of the subjective mind when the subject is in a 
diseased or in a deeply hypnotic condition, with the ob- 
jective senses in complete abeyance. This has been done 
for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the fundamental 



SUBJECTIVE MEMORY. 49 

propositions. The phenomena of purely subjective mental 
action, are, however, of little practical importance to man- 
kind when compared with the action of the subjective 
mind modified by the co-ordinate power of the objective 
intelligence. 

It is not to be supposed that an All-wise Providence has 
placed within the human frame a separate entity, endowed 
with such wonderful powers as we have seen that it pos- 
sesses, and hedged about by the limitations with which we 
know it to be environed, without so ordaining its relations 
with man's objective intelligence as to render it of practical 
value to the human race in its struggle with its physical 
environment. It might at first glance seem incongruous 
to suppose that the subjective mind could be at once the 
storehouse of memory and the source of inspiration, lim- 
ited as to its methods and powers of reasoning, and at the 
same time subject to the imperial control of the objective 
mind. A moment's reflection, however, will show that in 
the very nature of things it must necessarily be true. " A 
house divided against itself cannot stand." There must be 
a controlling power in every well-regulated household, mu- 
nicipality, nation, or organism. There is a positive and 
a negative force in the greatest physical power known to 
mankind. There is a male and a female element in every 
race and order of created organisms ; and those philoso- 
phers who hold that there appertain to every man a male 
and a female element have dimly recognized the duality of 
man's mental organization. ' 

Why it is that the objective mind has been invested with 
the controlling influence, limited as are its resources and 
feeble as are its powers, is a question upon which it would 
be idle to speculate. It profits us only to know the fact 
and to study its practical significance, without wasting our 
energies in seeking to know the ultimate cause. We may 
rest assured that in this, as in all other laws of Nature, we 
shall find infinite wisdom. 

If any one doubts the wisdom of investing the objective 
mind with the controlling power in the dual organization, 

4 



56 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA, 

let him visit a madhouse. There he will see all shades 
and degrees of subjective control. There he will see men 
whose objective minds have completely abdicated the 
throne, and whose subjective minds are in pursuit of one 
idea, — controlled by one dominant impression, which sub- 
ordinates all others. These are the monomaniacs, — the 
victims of false suggestions. These suggestions may be 
given from without, in a thousand different ways which will 
be readily recognized by the student of insanity, or by 
auto-suggestion. Long and intense concentration of mind 
upon one subject, and inordinate egotism, will be readily 
recognized as striking illustrations of the power of auto- 
suggestion as a factor in monomania. The maniac is one 
whose objective mind is disorganized by disease of its 
organ, the brain ; the result being distortion of objective 
impressions, and consequent false suggestions to the subjec- 
tive mind. 

Those who study the subject from this standpoint will find 
an easy solution to many an obscure problem. The sub- 
ject is here adverted to merely to show the consequences 
arising from allowing the subjective mind to usurp complete 
control of the mental organization. It will be readily seen 
that human society, outside of lunatic asylums, constantly 
furnishes numerous examples of abnormal subjective con- 
trol. So generally is this fact recognized that it has 
passed into a proverb that " every man is insane on some 
subject." 

The question arises, What part does the subjective mind 
play in the normal operation of the human intellect? This 
question may be answered in a general way by saying that 
the most perfect exhibition of intellectual power is the re- 
— -" suit of the synchronous action of the objective and subjec- 
tive minds. When this is seen in its perfection the world 
names it genius. In this condition the individual has the 
benefit of all the reasoning powers of the objective mind, 
combined with the perfect memory of the subjective mind 
and its marvellous power of syllogistic arrangement of its 
resources. In short, all the elements of intellectual power 



SUBJECTIVE MEMORY. 5I 

are then in a state of intense and harmonious activity. 
This condition may be perfectly normal, though it is rarely 
seen in its perfection. Probably the most striking exam- 
ples which history affords were Napoleon Bonaparte and 
Shakspeare. The intelligent student of the history of their 
lives and work will not fail to recall a thousand incidents 
which illustrate the truth of this proposition. True genius 
is undoubtedly the result of the sy^cjironous action of 
the two minds, neither unduly predominating or usurping 
the powers and functions of the other. When the subjec- 
tive is allowed to dominate, the resultant acts of the in- 
dividual are denominated "the eccentricities of genius." 
When the subjective usurps complete control, the individual 
goes insane. 

There are certain classes of persons whose intellectual 
labors are characterized by subjective activity in a very 
marked degree. Poets and artists are the most conspicu- 
ous examples. So marked is the peculiarity of the poetic 
mind in this respect that it has become almost proverbial. 
Lord Macaulay, in his Essay on Milton, uses language which 
shows that he clearly recognized the subjective element in 
all true poetry. He says : — 

" Perhaps no man can be a poet, or can even enjoy poetry, 
without a certain unsoundness of mind, — if anything which 
gives so much pleasure ought to be called unsoundness. By 
poetry we mean not, of course, all writing in verse, nor even all 
good writing in verse. Our definition excludes many metrical 
compositions which on other grounds deserve the highest praise. 
By poetry we mean the art of employing words in such a 
manner as to produce an illusion on the imagination ; the art of 
doing by means of words what the painter does by means of 
colors. Thus the greatest of poets has described it, in lines , 
universally admired for the vigor and felicity of their diction, 
and still more valuable on account of the just notion which they 
convey of the art in which he excelled 

" ' As imagination bodies forth 
The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen 
Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing 
A local habitation and a name.' 



52 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

" These are the fruits of the ' fine frenzy ' which he ascribes 
to the poet, — a fine frenzy doubtless, but still a frenzy. Truth, 
indeed, is essential to poetry, but it is the truth of madness. 
The reasonings are just, but the premises are false. After 
the first suppositions have been made, everything ought to be 
consistent ; but those first suppositions require a degree of 
credulity which almost amounts to a partial and temporary 
derangement of the intellect. Hence, of all people, children 
are the most imaginative. They abandon themselves without 
reserve to every illusion. Every image which is strongly pre- 
sented to their mental eye produces on them the effect of reality. ( 
No man, whatever his sensibility may be, is ever affected by/ 
Hamlet or Lear as a little girl is affected by the story of poor | 
Red-Riding-Hood. She knows that it is all false, that wolves 
cannot speak, that there are no wolves in England. Yet in 
spite of her knowledge she believes ; she weeps ; she trembles ; 
she dares not go into a dark room, lest she should feel the teeth 
of the monster at her throat. Such is the despotism of the 
imagination over uncivilized minds." 

In other words, such is the despotism of suggestion over 
the subjective mind. No truer statement of the methods 
of subjective mental action could be written. "The rea- 
sonings are just, but the premises are false," says Macaulay. 
True, the deductive reasonings of the subjective mind are 
always just, logical, syllogistically perfect, and are equally 
so whether the premises are false or true. 

Macaulay's remark concerning children is eminently phil- 
osophical and true to nature. Children are almost purely 
subjective ; and no one needs to be told how completely 
a suggestion, true or false, will take control of their minds. 
This is seen in perfection when children are playing games 
in which one of them is supposed to be a wild beast. The 
others will flee in affected terror from the beast ; but the 
affectation often becomes a real emotion, and tears, and 
sometimes convulsions, result from their fright. 

The remark elsewhere made regarding the eccentricities 
of genius applies in a marked degree to poets. It is prob- 
able that in all the greater poets the subjective mind often 
predominates. Certainly the subjective element is dom- 
inant in their works. The career of Lord Byron is at once 



SUBJECTIVE MEMORY. 53 

a splendid illustration of the marvellous powers and the 
inexhaustible resources of the subjective mind in a man of 
learning and cultivation, and a sad commentary on the folly 
and danger of allowing the subjective mind to usurp control 
of the dual mental organization. 

Many of the poems of Coleridge furnish striking ex- 
amples of the dominance of the subjective in poetry. His 
readers will readily recall the celebrated fragment entitled 
" Kubla Khan; or, a Vision in a Dream," beginning as 
follows : — 

" In Xanadu did Kubla Khan 
A stately pleasure-dome decree, — 
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran 
Through caverns measureless to man 
J Down to a sunless sea." 

It is unfortunately true that the subjective condition in his 
case was often brought about by artificial means ; and it is 
expressly stated in a prefatory note to " Kubla Khan " that 
this fragment was written while under the influence of an 
anodyne. As an illustration of the principle under con- 
sideration it is, however, none the less valuable ; while the 
career of the gifted but unfortunate poet should serve as a 
warning against the practices in which he indulged. 
Macaulay further remarks : — 

" In an enlightened age there will be much intelligence, much 
science, much philosophy, abundance of just classification and 
subtle analysis, abundance of wit and eloquence, abundance of 
verses, — and even of good ones, — but little poetry. Men will 
judge and compare ; but they will not create." 1 

In other words, this is an age of purely objective cultiva- 
tion. All our powers of inductive reasoning are strained to 
their highest tension in an effort to penetrate the secrets of 
physical Nature, and to harness her dynamic forces. Mean- 
time, the normal exercise of that co-ordinate power in our 
mental structure is fast falling into desuetude, and its 

1 Scott's poems are good illustrations. They are not ranked as 
first class for the sole reason that they are too objective. 



54 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

manifestations, not being understood, are relegated to the 
domain of superstition. 

Socrates, in his Apology to the Athenians, seems to have 
entertained opinions in regard to poets similar to those of 
Lord Macaulay. In his search for wiser men than himself 
he went first to the politicians. Failing there, he went to 
the poets, with the following result : — 

" Taking up, therefore, some of their poems, which appeared 
to me most elaborately finished, I questioned them as to their 
meaning, that at the same time I might learn something from 
them. I am ashamed, O Athenians, to tell you the truth ; 
however, it must be told. For, in a word, almost all who were 
present could have given a better account of them than those 
by whom they had been composed. I soon discovered this, 
therefore, with regard to the poets, that they do not effect their 
object by wisdom, but by a certain natural inspiration, and 
under the influence of enthusiasm, like prophets and seers ; for 
these also say many fine things, but they understand nothing 
that they say." 

Words could not express more clearly the recognition of 
the subjective element in poetic composition ; and it ex- 
actly accords with Macaulay's idea regarding the poets and 
the poetry of the ancient days. 

The subjective mind once recognized as a factor in the 
mental powers of the poet, it follows that its resources are 
all at his command. Its perfect memory, its instant 
command of all the acquired knowledge of the individual, 
however superficially attained or imperfectly remembered, 
objectively, is a source of stupendous power. But, like all 
other gifts of nature, it is liable at times to be a source of 
inconvenience ; for it sometimes happens that in ordinary 
composition a person will unconsciously reproduce, ver- 
batim, some long- forgotten expressions, perhaps a whole 
stanza, or even an entire poem. It may, perchance, be of 
his own composition ; but it is just as likely to be some- 
thing that he has read years before and forgotten, objec- 
tively, as soon as read. In this way many persons have 
subjected themselves to the charge of plagiarism, when 



SUBJECTIVE MEMORY. 55 

they were totally unconscious of guilt. Many oi the great 
poets have been accused of minor plagiarisms, and much 
inconsiderate criticism has been the result. Oliver Wendell 
Holmes mentions unconscious reproduction as one of the 
besetting annoyances of a poet's experience. " It is im- 
possible to tell," he says, " in many cases, whether a com- 
parison which suddenly suggests itself is a new conception 
or a recollection. I told you the other day that I never 
wrote a line of verse that seemed to me comparatively good, 
but it appeared old at once, and often as if it had been 
borrowed." 1 

/ A certain class of trance-speaking mediums, so called, 
are often called upon to improvise poems, the subject 
being suggested by some one in the audience. Often a 
very creditable performance is the result ; but it more fre- 
quently happens that they reproduce something that they 
have read. J 

Sometimes whole poems are thus reproduced by persons 
in an apparently normal condition. This accounts for the 
frequent disputes concerning the authorship of popular 
verses. Instances of this kind are fresh in the minds of 
most readers, as, for example, a recent controversy between 
two well-known writers relative to the authorship of the 
poem beginning, " Laugh, and the world laughs with you." 
The circumstances of such coincidences often preclude the 
possibility of either claimant deliberately plagiarizing the 
work, or telling a falsehood concerning its authorship. Yet 
nothing is more certain than that one of them is not its 
author. Possibly neither is entitled to that credit. When, in 
the nature of things, it is impossible for either to prove the 
fact of authorship, and when the evidence on both sides is 
about equally balanced, we may never know the exact truth ; 
but as the theory of unconscious subjective reproduction is 
consistent with the literary honesty of both, it may well be 
accepted as the true one, aside from the inherent probability 
of its correctness. 

1 Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table. 



56 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

The solution of the great question as to the authorship ot 
Shakspeare's works may be found in this hypothesis. The 
advocates of the Baconian theory tell us that Shakspeare 
was an unlearned man. This is true so far as high scholas- 
tic attainments are concerned ; but it is also known that he 
was a man of extensive reading, and was the companion of 
many of the great men of his time, among whom were 
Bacon, Ben Jonson, Drayton, Beaumont, Fletcher, and 
others. It is in evidence that the Mermaid Tavern was 
the scene of many an encounter of wit and learning be- 
tween these worthies. In this way he was brought into 
constant contact with the brightest minds of the Elizabe- 
than age. He was not only familiar with their works, but 
he had also the benefit of their conversation, — which famil- 
iarized him with their thoughts and modes of expression, — 
and of close personal relations with them in their convivial 
moods, when wit and eloquence, learning and philosophy, 
flowed as freely as their wine. 

The internal evidence of his works shows that Shak- 
speare's mind, compared with that of any other poet whose 
writings are known, was the most harmoniously developed. 
In other words, his objective and subjective faculties were 
exquisitely balanced. When this fact is considered in the 
light of what has been said of the marvellous powers of sub- 
jective memory, and in connection with his intellectual en- 
vironment, the source of his power and inspiration becomes 
apparent. In his moments of inspiration — and he seems 
always to have been inspired when writing — he had the bene- 
fit of a perfect memory and a logical comprehension of all 
that had been imparted by the brightest minds of the most 
marvellous literary and philosophical age in the history of 
mankind. Is it any wonder that he was able to strike a 
responsive chord in every human breast, to run the gamut 
of every human emotion, to portray every shade of human 
character, and to embellish his work with all the wit and 
learning of his day and generation ? 

Artists constitute another class in whom the subjective 
faculties are largely cultivated, and are often predominant. 



SUBJECTIVE MEMORY. 57 

Indeed, no man can become a true artist whose subjective 
mind is not cultivated to a high degree of activity. One 
may become a good draughtsman, or learn to delineate a 
figure with accuracy, or to draw a landscape with photo- 
graphic fidelity to objective nature, and in faultless perspec- 
tive, by the cultivation of the objective faculties alone; 
but his work will lack that subtle something, that name- 
less charm, which causes a canvas to glow with beauty, and 
each particular figure to become instinct with life and 
action. No artist can successfully compose a picture who 
cannot see " in his mind's eye " the perfected picture be- 
fore he touches his pencil to canvas ; and just in proportion 
to his cultivation of the subjective faculties will he be able 
thus to see his picture. Of course these remarks will be 
understood to presuppose an objective art education. No 
man, by the mere cultivation or exercise of his subjective 
faculties, can become a great artist, any more than an ig- 
noramus, by going into a hypnotic trance, can speak the 
language of a Webster. All statements to the contrary are 
merely the exaggerations of inaccurate observers. Genius 
in art, as in -everything else, is the result of the harmonious 
cultivation and synchronous action of both characteristics 
of the dual mind. 

In art, as in poetry, the undue predominance of the sub- 
jective mind is apt to work disastrously. No better illustra- 
tion of this is now recalled than is furnished by the works of 
Fuseli or of Blake : — 

" Look," says Dendy, 1 " on those splendid illustrations of 
the Gothic poets by the eccentric, the half-mad Fuseli. Look 
on the wild pencillings of Blake, another poet-painter, and you 
will be assured that they were ghost-seers. An intimate friend 
of Blake has told me the strangest tales of his visions. In one 
of his reveries he witnessed the whole ceremony of a fairy's 
funeral, which he peopled with mourners and mutes, and de- 
scribed with high poetic beauty. He was engaged, in one of 
these moods, in painting King Edward I., who was sitting to 
him for his picture. While they were conversing, Wallace sud« 

1 Philosophy of Mystery, p. 93- 



58 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

denly presented himself on the field, and by this uncourteous in- 
trusion marred the studies of the painter for that day. . . . Blake 
was a visionary," continues our author, " and thought his fan- 
cies real ; he was mad." 

The writer once knew an artist who had the power to 
enter the subjective condition at will ; and in this state he 
could cause his visions to be projected upon the canvas 
before him. He declared that his mental pictures thus 
formed were perfect in detail and color, and all that he had 
to do to fix them was to paint the corresponding colors over 
the subjective picture. He, too, thought his fancies real ; 
he believed that spirits projected the pictures upon the 
canvas. 

The foregoing cases represent a class of artists whose sub- 
jective faculties are uncontrolled by the objective mind, — 
an abnormal condition, which, if it found expression in 
words instead of pigments, would stamp the subject as a 
candidate for the lunatic asylum. 

Fortunately, most artists have their fancies more under 
control ; or, more properly speaking, they are aware that their 
visions are evoked by their own volition. This power va- 
ries with different individuals, but all true artists possess it 
in a greater or less degree. An extraordinary manifestation 
of this power is reported by Combe. The artist was noted 
for the rapidity of his work, and was extremely popular on 
account of the fidelity of his portraits, and especially be- 
cause he never required more than one sitting of his patron. 
His method, as divulged by himself, was as follows : — 

" When a sitter came, I looked attentively on him for half 
an hour, sketching from time to time on the canvas. I did not 
require a longer sitting. I removed the canvas and passed to 
another person. When I wished to continue the first portrait, I 
recalled the man to my mind. I placed him on the chair, where 
I perceived him as distinctly as though really there, and, I may 
add, in form and color more decidedly brilliant. I looked from 
time to time at the imaginary figure, and went on painting, oc- 
casionally stopping to examine the picture exactly as though 
the original were before me ; whenever I looked towards the 
chair I saw the man." 



SUBJECTIVE MEMORY. 59 

In this way he was enabled to paint over three hundred 
portraits in one year. 

It is seldom that subjective power is manifested in this 
particular manner. It may be added, however, that, given 
an artist for a subject, the same phenomena can be repro- 
duced at will by the ordinary processes of hypnotism. The 
most common manifestations of the power are not so easily 
Tecognized or distinguished from ordinary mental activity ; 
but every artist will bear witness that there are times when 
he works with extraordinary ease and rapidity, when the 
work almost seems to do itself, when there seems to be a 
force outside of himself which impels him on, when, to 
use the common expression to define the mental condition,, 
he feels that he is " inspired." It is then that the artist 
does his best work. It is under these mental conditions 
that his work is characterized by that subtle, indefinite 
charm vaguely expressed by the word " feeling." 

Another class of persons who possess the faculty of evok- 
ing at will the powers of the subjective mind are the great 
orators, such as Patrick Henry, Charles Phillips the Irish 
orator, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and many others, to 
say nothing of that numerous class of purely subjective 
orators known to spiritists as trance, or inspirational, 
speakers. The student of the life of Patrick Henry will 
not fail to see that his whole history is an illustration of the 
pertinency of these remarks. It is related of Clay that on 
one occasion he was unexpectedly called upon to answer 
an opponent who had addressed the Senate on a question 
in which Clay was deeply interested. The latter felt too 
unwell to reply at length. It seemed imperative, however, 
that he should say something ; and he exacted a promise 
from a friend, who sat behind him, that he would stop him 
at the end of ten minutes. Accordingly, at the expiration 
of the prescribed time the friend gently pulled the skirts 
of Mr. Clay's coat. No attention was paid to the hint, and 
after a brief time it was repeated a little more emphatically. 
Still Clay paid no attention, and it was again repeated. 
Then a pin was brought into requisition ; but Clay was by 






60 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

that time thoroughly aroused, and was pouring forth a tor- 
rent of eloquence. The pin was inserted deeper and 
deeper into the orator's leg without eliciting any response, 
until his friend gave it up in despair. Finally Mr. Clay 
happened to glance at the clock, and saw that he had 
been speaking two hours; whereupon he fell back into 
his friend's arms, completely overcome by exhaustion, up- 
braiding his friend severely for not stopping him at the 
time prescribed. 

The fact that Mr. Clay, on that occasion, made one of 
the ablest speeches of his life, two hours in length, at a time 
when he felt almost too ill to rise to his feet, and that his body 
at the time was in a condition of perfect anesthesia, is a 
splendid illustration of the synchronous action of the two 
minds, and also of the perfect control exercised by the 
subjective mind over the functions and sensations of the 
body. 

There is, perhaps, no better description on record of the 
sensations of a speaker, when the synchronous action of the 
two minds is perfect, than that given by Daniel Webster. 
A friend had asked him how it happened that he was able, 
without preparation, to make such a magnificent effort 
when he replied to Hayne. The reply was (quoting from 
memory) substantially as follows : " In the first place, I 
have made the Constitution of the United States the study 
of my life ; and on that occasion it seemed to me that all 
that I had ever heard or read on the subject under discus- 
sion was passing like a panorama before me, arranged in 
perfectly logical order and sequence, and that all I had to 
do was to cull a thunderbolt and hurl it at him." 

Two important conclusions are deducible from the premi- 
ses here laid down. The first is that it is essential to the 
highest mental development that the objective and subjec- 
tive faculties be cultivated harmoniously, if the latter are 
cultivated at all. 

The second conclusion is of the most transcendent inter- 
est and importance. It is that the subjective mind should 
never be allowed to usurp control of the dual mental organi- 



SUBJECTIVE MEMORY 6 1 

zation. Important as are its functions and transcendent as 
are its powers, it is hedged about with such limitations that 
it must be subjected to the imperial control of the objective 
mind, which alone is endowed with the power to reason by- 
all methods. 

To sum up in a few words : To believe in the reality of 
subjective visions is to give the subjective mind control of 
the dual mental organization ; and to give the subjective 
mind such control is for Reason to abdicate her throne. 
The suggestions of the subjective mind then become the 
controlling power. The result, in its mildest form of mani- 
festation, is a mind filled with the grossest superstitions, — a 
mind which, like the untutored mind of the savage, " sees 
God in clouds, and hears him in the wind." Its ultimate 
form of manifestation is insanity. 



CHAPTER VI. 

PERCEPTION OF THE FIXED LAWS OF NATURE. 

Three Sub-classes of Mental Phenomena. — Mathematical Prodigies. 

— Musical Prodigies. — Measurement of Time. — Distinction be- 
tween Results of Objective Education and Intuitive Perception. — 
Zerah Colburn, the Mathematical Prodigy. — The Lightning Cal- 
culator. — Blind Tom, the Musical Prodigy. — The Origin and 
Uses of Music. — East Indian Fakirs. — Measurement of Time. — 
The Power possessed by Animals. — Illustrative Incidents. — 
Hypnotic Subjects. — Jouffroy's Testimony. — Bernheim's Views. 

— Practical Observations. — The Normal Functions of Objective 
Intelligence. — The Limitations of Subjective Intelligence pertain 
to its Earthly State only. — Its Kinship to God demonstrated by 
its Limitations. — Omniscience cannot reason inductively. — In- 
duction is Inquiry. — Perception the Attribute of Omniscience. — 
Conclusions regarding the Power of the Soul. 

'"THERE are three other sub-classes of subjective mental 
* phenomena which must be grouped by themselves, 
inasmuch as they are governed by a law which does not 
pertain to the classes mentioned in the preceding chapter, 
although there are some characteristics which are common 
to them all. The first of these classes of phenomena is 
manifested in mathematical prodigies ; the second in mu- 
sical prodigies ; and the third pertains to the measurement 
of time. 

The important distinction to be observed between the 
phenomena described in the preceding chapter and those 
pertaining to mathematics, music, and the measurement ot 
time, consists in the fact that in the former everything 
depends upon objective education, whilst the latter are 



* 



PERCEPTION OF THE FIXED LA WS OF NA TURE. 63 

apparently produced by the exercise of inherent powers 
of the subjective mind. 

In order not to be misunderstood it must be here stated 
that on all subjects of human knowledge not governed by 
fixed laws, the subjective mind is dependent for its infor- 
mation upon objective education. In other words, it knows 
only what has been imparted to it by and through the ob- 
jective senses or the operations of the objective mind. 
Thus, its knowledge of the contents of books can only be 
acquired by objective methods of education. Its wonder- 
ful powers of acquiring and assimilating such knowledge are 
due to its perfect memory of all that has been imparted to 
it by objective education, aided by its powers of memory 
and of logical arrangement of the subject-matter. Leaving 
clairvoyance and thought-transference out of consideration 
for the present, the principle may be stated thus : The 
subjective mind cannot know, by intuition, the name of 
a person, or a geographical location, or a fact in human 
history. But it does know, by intuition, that two and two 
make four. 

No one without an objective education can, by the de- 
velopment of the subjective faculties alone, become a great 
poet, or a great artist, or a great orator, or a great states- 
man. But he may be a great mathematician or a great 
musician, independently of objective education or train- 
ing, by the development of the subjective faculties alone. 
Many facts are on record which demonstrate this proposi- 
tion. Hundreds of instances might be cited showing to 
what a prodigious extent the mathematical and musical 
faculties can be developed in persons, not only without ob- 
jective training, but, in some instances, without a brain 
capable of receiving any considerable objective education. 

Mathematical prodigies of the character mentioned are 
numerous ; one of the most remarkable was the famous 
Zerah Colburn. The following account of his early career, 
published when he was yet under eight years of age, is 
taken from the "Annual Register" of 18 12, an English 
publication, and will serve to illustrate the proposition : 



64 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

" The attention of the philosophical world has been lately at- 
tracted by the most singular phenomenon in the history of human 
mind that perhaps ever existed. It is the case of a child, under 
eight years of age, who, without any previous knowledge of the 
common, rules of arithmetic, or even of the use and power of 
the Arabic numerals, and without having given any attention to 
the subject, possesses, as if by intuition, the singular faculty of 
solving a great variety of arithmetical questions by the mere 
operation of the mind, and without the usual assistance of any 
visible symbol or contrivance. 

" The name of the child is Zerah Colburn, who was born at 
Cabut (a town lying at the head of the Onion River, in Ver- 
mont, in the United States of America), on the ist of Septem- 
ber, 1804. About two years ago, — August, 1810, — although 
at that time not six years of age, he first began to show these 
wonderful powers of calculation which have since so much at- 
tracted the attention and excited the astonishment of every per- 
son who has witnessed his extraordinary abilities. The discovery 
was made by accident. His father, who had not given him any 
other instruction than such as was to be obtained at a small 
school established in that unfrequented and remote part of the 
country, and which did not include either writing or ciphering, 
was much surprised one day to hear him repeating the products 
of several numbers. Struck with amazement at the circum- 
stance, he proposed a variety of arithmetical questions to him, 
all of which the child solved with remarkable facility and cor- 
rectness. The news of the infant prodigy was soon circulated 
through the neighborhood, and many persons came from dis- 
tant parts to witness so singular a circumstance. The father, 
encouraged by the unanimous opinion of all who came to see 
him, was induced to undertake with this child the tour of the 
United States. They were everywhere received with the most 
flattering expressions, and in several towns which they visited, 
various plans were suggested to educate and bring up the child 
free from all expense to his family. Yielding, however, to the 
pressing solicitations of his friends, and urged by the most re- 
spectable and powerful recommendations, as well as by a view 
to his son's more complete education, the father has brought 
the child to this country, where they arrived on the 12th of 
May last ; and the inhabitants of this metropolis have for the 
last three months had an opportunity of seeing and examining 
this wonderful phenomenon, and verifying the reports that have 
been circulated respecting him. Many persons of the first 
eminence for their knowledge in mathematics, and well known 



PERCEPTION OF THE FIXED LAWS OF NATURE. 65 

for their philosophical inquiries, have made a point of seeing 
and conversing with him, and they have all been struck with 
astonishment at his extraordinary powers. It is correctly true, 
as stated of him, that he will not only determine with the 
greatest facility and despatch the exact number of minutes or 
seconds in any given period of time, but will also solve any 
other question of a similar kind. He will tell the exact product 
arising from the multiplication of any number consisting of two, 
three, or four figures by any other number consisting of the like 
number of figures ; or any number consisting of six or seven 
places of figures being proposed, he will determine with equal 
expedition and ease all the factors of which it is composed. 
This singular faculty consequently extends not only to the 
raising of powers, but to the extraction of the square and cube 
roots of the number proposed, and likewise to the means of 
determining whether it is a prime number (or a number incapa- 
ble of division by any other number) ; for which case there does 
not exist at present any general rule amongst mathematicians. 
All these and a variety of other questions connected therewith 
are answered by this child with such promptness and accuracy 
(and in the midst of his juvenile pursuits) as to astonish every 
person who has visited him. 

" At a meeting of his friends, which was held for the purpose 
of concerting the best methods of promoting the views of the 
father, this child undertook and completely succeeded in raising 
the number 8 progressively up to the sixteenth power. And 
in naming the last result, viz., 281,474,976,710,656! he was 
right in every figure. He was then tried as to other numbers 
consisting of one figure, all of which he raised (by actual mul- 
tiplication, and not by memory) as high as the tenth power, 
with so much facility and despatch that the person appointed 
to take down the results was obliged to enjoin him not to be so 
rapid. With respect to numbers consisting of two figures, he 
would raise some of them to the sixth, seventh, and eighth 
power, but not always with equal facility ; for the larger the 
products became, the more difficult he found it to proceed. He 
was asked the square root of 106,929; and before the number 
could be written down, he immediately answered, 327. He was 
then required to name the cube root of 268,336,125; and with 
equal facility and promptness he replied, 645. Various other 
questions of a similar nature, respecting the roots and powers 
of very high numbers, were proposed by several of the gentle- 
men present, to all of which he answered in a similar manner. 
One of the party requested him to name the factors which pro- 

5 



66 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

duced the number 247,483 : this he immediately did by mention- 
ing the numbers 941 and 263, — which, indeed, are the only two 
numbers that will produce it. Another of them proposed 171,395? 
and he named the following factors as the only ones, viz., 5 X 
34,279, 7 X 24,485, 59 X 2,905, 83 X 2,065, 35 X 4,897, 295 X 
581, and 413 X 4I5- He was then asked to give the factors of 
36,083 ; but he immediately replied that it had none, — which in 
fact was the case, as 36,083 is a prime number. Other numbers 
were indiscriminately proposed to him, and he always succeeded 
in giving the correct factors, except in the case of prime numbers, 
which he discovered almost as soon as proposed. One of the 
gentlemen asked him how many minutes there were in forty- 
eight years ; and before the question could be written down he 
replied, 25,228,800 ; and instantly added that the number of 
seconds in the same period was 1,513,728,000. Various questions 
of the like kind were put to him, and to all of them he answered 
with equal facility and promptitude, so as to astonish every one 
present, and to excite a desire that so extraordinary a faculty 
should, if possible, be rendered more extensive and useful. It 
was the wish of the gentlemen present to obtain a knowledge o-f 
the method by which the child was enabled to answer with so 
much facility and correctness the questions thus put to him; 
but to all their inquiries on the subject (and he was closely ex- 
amined on this point) he was unable to give them any informa- 
tion. He persistently declared (and every observation that was 
made seemed to justify the assertion) that he did not know how 
the answer came into his mind. In the act of multiplying two 
numbers together, and in the raising of powers, it was evident, 
not only from the motion of his lips, but also from some 
singular facts which will be hereafter mentioned, that some 
operations were going forward in his mind ; yet that operation 
could not, from the readiness with which the answers were fur- 
nished, be at all allied to the usual mode of proceeding with such 
subjects ; and moreover he is entirely ignorant of the common 
rules of arithmetic, and cannot perform upon paper a simple 
sum in multiplication or division. But in the extraction of 
roots and in mentioning the factors of high numbers, it does 
not appear that any operation can take place, since he will give 
the answer immediately, or in a very few seconds, where it 
would require, according to the ordinary method of solution, a 
very difficult and laborious calculation; and, moreover, the 
knowledge of a prime number cannot be obtained by any 
known rule. 

" It must be evident, from what has here been stated, that 
the singular faculty which this child possesses is not altogether 



PERCEPTION OF THE FIXED LAWS OF NATURE. 6j 

dependent on his memory. In the multiplication of numbers and 
in the raising of powers, he is doubtless considerably assisted 
by that remarkable quality of the mind ; and in this respect he 
might be considered as bearing some resemblance (if the differ- 
ence of age did not prevent the justness of the comparison) to 
the celebrated Jedidiah Buxton, and other persons of similar 
note. But in the extraction of the roots of numbers and in de- 
termining their factors (if any), it is clear to all those wno have 
witnessed the astonishing quickness and accuracy of this child 
that the memory has nothing to do with the process. And in 
this particular point consists the remarkable difference between 
the present and all former instances of an apparently similar 
kind." 

The latter remark above quoted would not apply to the 
present day, for many parallel cases have been reported 
within the present decade. 

It was hoped that the powers of this child would develop 
by education ; and for this purpose he was placed in school 
and trained in objective methods of mathematical calcula- 
tion. It was believed that when his mind became mature he 
would be able to impart to others the process by which his 
calculations were made. But his friends were doomed to 
disappointment. His powers did not improve by objective 
training. On the contrary, they deteriorated just in pro- 
portion to his efforts in that direction, and his pupils de- 
rived no benefit from the extraordinary faculties with which 
he was endowed. This has been the invariable rule in 
such cases. 

A few years ago a gentleman travelled through this coun- 
try teaching arithmetic. He was known as the "lightning 
calculator." His powers were indeed marvellous. He 
could add a column of as many numbers as could be 
written on a sheet of legal cap, by casting an instantaneous 
glance upon the page ; but he succeeded no better as a 
teacher than thousands of others who could not add a 
column of numbers without reading every figure by the 
usual laborious, objective process. He could give no ex- 
planation of his powers other than that he possessed extra- 
ordinary quickness of vision. But any one who is sufficiently 



68 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

acquainted with the elements of optical laws to be aware 
that in the light of a flash of lightning a drop of falling rain 
appears to be suspended motionless in the air, knows that 
objective vision is not capable of such rapid transition as 
to enable one to see at a glance each particular figure in a 
column of a hundred numbers. When to this is added the 
labor of calculating the relation and aggregate values of 
the numbers, the conclusion is inevitable that such powers 
are not given to our objective senses, but must be inherent 
in the human soul, and beyond the range of objective 
explanation or comprehension. 

Musical prodigies furnish further illustrations of the prin- 
ciple involved. Of these the most remarkable is the negro 
idiot, known as Blind Tom. This person was not only blind 
from birth, but was little above the brute creation in point 
of objective intelligence or capacity to receive objective in- 
struction. Yet his musical capacity was prodigious. Almost 
in his infancy it was discovered that he could reproduce on 
the piano any piece of music that he had ever heard. A 
piece of music, however long or difficult, once heard, seemed 
to be fixed indelibly in his memory, and usually could be re- 
produced with a surprising degree of accuracy. His capa- 
city for improvisation was equally great, and a discordant 
note rarely, if ever, marred the harmony of his measures. 

These well known facts of Blind Tom's history furnish 
complete illustrations, — first of the perfection of subjective 
memory ; and second, of the inherent power of the sub- 
jective mind to grasp the laws of harmony of sounds ; and 
that, too, independently of objective education. 

Music belongs to the realm of the subjective ; it is a 
passion of the human soul, and it may be safely affirmed 
that all really good music is the direct product of the sub- 
jective mind. It is true that there is much so-called music 
to be heard which is the product of the objective intelli 
gence. But no one can fail to recognize its origin, from its 
hard, mechanical, soulless character and quality. It bears 
the same relation to the product of the subjective mind that 
mere rhyme does to the poetry of a Milton. Music is at 



PERCEPTION OF THE FIXED LAWS OF NATURE. 69 

once the legitimate offspripg of the subjective mind and 
one of the most potent means of inducing the subjective 
condition. It is a well-known practice of so-called " spir- 
itual mediums " to have music at their seances, for the os- 
tensible purpose of securing the " harmonious conditions " 
necessary to insure a successful performance. Their theory 
is that the music harmonizes the audience, and that by 
a reflex action the medium is favorably affected. It is 
probable that such would be the effect to a limited 
extent, but the greatest effect is direct and positive upon 
the medium. 

The East Indian fakirs invariably invoke the aid of music 
to enable them to enter the subjective state when they are 
about to give an exhibition of occult power. In fact, the 
power of music over the subjective mind is practically un- 
limited. It speaks the universal language of the soul, and 
is comprehended alike by prince and by peasant. It is the 
most powerful auxiliary of love, of religion, and of war. It 
nerves the soldier to deeds of heroism, and soothes his 
dying moments. It inspires alike the devotee of pleasure 
and the worshipper of God. But whilst it interprets every 
human emotion and embodies the inward feelings of which 
all other arts can but exhibit the outward effect, its laws are 
as fixed and immutable as the laws of mathematics. 

The next subdivision or branch of the subject pertains to 
the faculty of measuring the lapse of time. This power 
is inherent in the subjective mind, and in that alone ; the 
objective mind, per se, does not possess it. The only 
means by which the objective mind can measure time is by 
the exercise of the physical senses, either in the observa- 
tion of the motions of the heavenly bodies, or of some other 
physical object or phenomenon which objective experience 
has shown to be a safe criterion upon which to base an 
estimate. 

The subjective mind, on the other hand, possesses an 
inherent power in that direction, independent of objective 
aids or the exercise of reason. It is possessed by man in 
common with many of the brute creation. It is strikingly 



7° 



THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 



exhibited in dogs, horses, and other domestic animals 
accustomed to regular hours of employment. 

A friend of the writer once owned a large plantation in 
one of the Southwestern States, upon which he worked a 
large number of mules. They were regularly employed on 
week-days, but on Sundays they were turned into a corral 
and allowed to rest. On regular work- days they were 
tractable and easily handled ; but if one was wanted for 
a Sunday excursion it was with the greatest difficulty that 
he could be caught or made to perform any labor whatever. 

Ad English gentleman, well known to the writer, relates 
a curious anecdote of a dog which was raised in his family. 
After the dog had come to maturity, one of the sons mar- 
ried and set up an establishment about three miles from the 
parental mansion. It was the habit of the family to see 
that the dog was fed regularly, immediately after each 
meal, with the scraps from the table. At the home man- 
sion the Sunday dinner-hour was the same as on week-days, 
but was just two hours earlier than that adopted at the 
son's establishment. This fact the dog by some means be- 
came acquainted with, and he never failed to take advan- 
tage of the information. Every Sunday he would wait 
patiently for the home dinner ; and having finished it, he 
would promptly take his departure, and never failed to put 
in an appearance at the son's house on time for dinner, 
where he was sure to be welcomed and entertained as an 
honored guest. On week-days the dinner-hour at the two 
houses was the same, and consequently he never made a 
pilgrimage in search of an extra meal on any day but 
Sunday. 

A favorite mastiff in the family of the writer has taken 
upon himself the regulation of the household affairs. He 
awakens the family in the morning at a certain hour, and 
insists upon promptitude in rising. At precisely twelve 
o'clock he notifies the family that it is time to feed the 
horse, and will give no one any peace until his friend's 
wants are supplied. His own meal seems to be a second- 
ary consideration. At three o'clock he notifies his mis- 



PERCEPTION OF THE FIXED LAWS OF NATURE. 71 

tress that it is time to visit the kitchen and give directions 
for preparing dinner. It is not because he expects to be 
fed at that time, for he is never fed until the family have 
dined, two hours later. At nine o'clock he rises from his 
rug on the library floor, and insists upon a visit to the 
kitchen for a lunch. It is rare that he varies five minutes 
from the regular hours above noted, but is generally within 
a minute. 

This power is exhibited in its perfection in hypnotic 
subjects and in ordinary sleep. It is that faculty which 
enables one to awake at an appointed hour in the night, 
when, before going to sleep, he has made a firm resolution 
to do so. M. Jouffroy, one of the most celebrated philoso- 
phers of France, in speaking of this subject says : — 

" I have this power in perfection, but I notice that I lose it 
if I depend on any one calling me. In this latter case my mind 
does not take the trouble of reasoning the time or of listening to 
the clock. But in the former it is necessary that it do so, other- 
wise the phenomenon is inexplicable. Every one has made or 
can make this experiment." 

M. Jouffroy is doubtless mistaken in supposing that the 
mind is necessarily employed in watching the clock; for 
the experiment is just as successful in the absence of any 
timepiece. Besides, the fact that animals possess the 
faculty shows that it is an inherent attribute of the sub- 
jective mind. It is the lapse of time that is noted by men 
as well as by animals, and is wholly independent of arti- 
ficial methods or instruments for marking the divisions of 
time. Every one possesses this faculty in a greater or less 
degree, and the subject need not, therefore, be enlarged 
upon. 

As before intimated, hypnotic subjects possess in a very 
remarkable degree the faculty of noting the lapse of time. 
On this subject Professor Bernheim l says : — 

" If a somnambulist is made to promise during his sleep that 
he will come back on such and such a day, at such and such an 

1 Suggestive Therapeutics, p. 37. 



72 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

hour, he will almost surely return on the day and at the hour, 
although he has no remembrance of his promise when he wakes 
up. I made A say that he would come back to me in thirteen 
days, at ten o'clock in the morning. He remembered nothing 
when he waked. On the thirteenth day, at ten o'clock in the 
morning, he appeared, having come three kilometres from his 
house to the hospital. He had been working in the foundries 
all night, went to bed at six in the morning, and woke up at 
nine with the idea that he had to come to the hospital to see 
me. He told me that he had had no such idea on the preceding 
days, and did not know that he had to come to see me. It 
came into his head just at the time when he ought to carry it 
out." 

It is also well known to all hypnotists that subjects in a 
hypnotic sleep will awaken at any hour prescribed to them 
by the operator, seldom varying more than five minutes 
from the time set, even when the sleep is prolonged for 
hours. If the subject is commanded to sleep, say, ten or 
fifteen minutes, he will generally awaken exactly on time. 
This fact also is universally recognized by those familiar 
with hypnotic phenomena, and the subject need not be 
further illustrated. 

In concluding this chapter, it is impossible to refrain 
from indulging in a few general observations regarding the 
conclusions derivable from the peculiar characteristics of 
the subjective intelligence thus far noted. We have seen 
that certain phenomena depend f -r their perfect develop- 
ment upon objective education, and that certain other 
phenomena are exhibited in perfection independent of ob- 
jective education. In other words, certain powers are in- 
herent in the subjective intelligence. These powers appear 
to pertain to the comprehension of the laws of Nature. We 
have seen that, under certain conditions, the subjective 
mind comprehends by intuition the laws of mathematics. 
It comprehends the laws of harmony of sounds, indepen- 
dently of objective education. By true artists the laws of 
the harmony of colors are also perceived intuitively. 1 These 

1 It must be here remarked that although the laws pertaining 
to the harmony of colors may be comprehended by intuition, yet an 



PERCEPTION OF THE FIXED LAWS OF NATURE. 73 

facts have been again and again demonstrated. It would 
seem, therefore, to be a just conclusion that the subjective 
mind, untrammelled by its objective environment, will be en- 
abled to comprehend all the laws of Nature, to perceive, to 
know all truth, independent of the slow, laborious process 
of induction. 

We are so accustomed to boast of the " god-like reason " 
with which man is endowed, that the proposition that the 
subjective mind — the soul — of man is incapable of exer- 
cising that function, in what we regard as the highest form 
of reasoning, seems, at first glance, to be a limitation of the 
intellectual power of the soul, and inconsistent with what 
we have been accustomed to regard as the highest attributes 
of human intelligence. But a moment's reflection will de- 
velop the fact that this apparent limitation of intellectual 
power is, in reality, a god-like attribute of mind. God 
himself cannot reason inductively. Inductive reasoning 
presupposes an inquiry, a search after knowledge, an ef- 
fort to arrive at correct conclusions regarding something 
of which we are ignorant. To suppose God to be an in- 
quirer, a seeker after knowledge, by finite processes of 
reasoning, is a conception of the Deity which negatives his 
omniscience, and measures Infinite Intelligence by purely 
finite standards. For our boasted " god-like reason" is of 
the earth, earthy. It is the noblest attribute of the finite 
mind, it is true, but it 53 essentially finite. It is the out- 
growth of our objective existence. It is our safest guide in 
the walks of earthly life. It is our faithful monitor and 
guardian in our daily struggle with our physical environment. 
It is our most reliable auxiliary in our efforts to penetrate 
the secrets of Nature, and wrest from her the means of sub- 
sistence. But its functions cease with the necessities which 
called it into existence ; for it will be no longer useful when 

objective education is necessary to enable the artist to combine the 
necessary pigments to produce the colors on canvas, and to perform 
the other mechanical labor necessary to place the paints upon the 
canvas in such relations as to produce a picture. When this is 
acquired, intuition will do the rest. 



74 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

the physical form has perished, and the veil is lifted which 
hides from mortal eyes that world where all truth is revealed. 
Then it is that the soul — the subjective mind — will per- 
form its normal functions, untrammelled by the physical 
form which imprisons it and binds it to earth, and in its 
native realm of truth, unimpeded by the laborious processes 
of finite reasoning, it will imbibe all truth from its Eternal 
Source. 



CHAPTER VII. 

EFFECTS OF ADVERSE SUGGESTION. 

The Subjective Mind Incapable of Controversial Argument. — A 
Sceptical Audience demoralizes it. — The Presence of an 
Avowed Sceptic prevents Successful Exhibition of Subjective 
Phenomena. — Labouchere and Bishop. — The Royal Academy 
of Medicine. — Its Offer to Clairvoyants. — Failure to earn Re- 
ward. — Harmonious Conditions required by Spiritists. — The 
Seybert Commission. — Trance-Speaking Mediums. — How de- 
moralized. — Adverse Suggestion the Cause of Failure in All 
Cases. — Possible Lack of Telepathic Conditions in Bishop's 
Case. — General Conclusions. — Failure Consistent with Hon' 
esty of Mediums. 

ANOTHER important peculiarity of the subjective mind 
is that it is incapable of controversial argument. This 
subject has been briefly alluded to in a former chapter ; but 
it is of so much importance that a more extended consider- 
ation of it is demanded, inasmuch as it affords a clear ex- 
planation of various phenomena which have never yet been 
satisfactorily accounted for. It is well known among hyp- 
notists that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to make 
satisfactory experiments with a subject in the presence of 
a sceptical audience. Especially is this true if the scep- 
ticism is open, avowed, and aggressive. It is also well 
known that, when a subject is in a state of lucid somnam- 
bulism, no satisfactory results can be obtained if any one 
disputes him, or attempts an argument, or accuses him of 
shamming, or of a want of good faith. Such a course 
always results in great distress of mind on the part of the 



76 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

subject, and generally in restoring him to normal conscious- 
ness. In the higher phases of hypnotic phenomena this pecu- 
liarity is still more marked. In exhibiting the phenomena 
of clairvoyance and thought-transference, or mind-reading, 
it is next to impossible to obtain good results in the pres- 
ence of an avowed sceptic. The controversy between Wash- 
ington Irving Bishop and Mr. Labouchere is fresh in the 
minds of most readers. Mr. Bishop was giving successful 
exhibitions of his wonderful powers in public assemblies 
and in private circles in London. He had demonstrated 
again and again his power to read the thoughts of others 
and to decipher the contents of sealed envelopes under the 
strictest test conditions, in the presence of many competent 
and trustworthy observers. In the height of his success 
Mr. Labouchere came out in his paper and denounced the 
whole thing as a humbug. To prove his sincerity he placed 
a Bank of England note for a large amount in a sealed en- 
velope, and offered to give it to Mr. Bishop if he should 
correctly read the number. Repeated trials to do so ended 
in dismal failure. It was a feat that he had successfully 
performed a thousand times before, and many times after- 
wards. But the number on that particular bank-note he 
never could decipher. 

In 1 83 1 the Royal Academy of Medicine of France 
appointed a commission to investigate the subject of animal 
magnetism. The commission was composed of some of the 
ablest scientists of the Academy, and it prosecuted its in- 
vestigations until 1837, when it made its report. Amongst 
other things it announced that it had demonstrated the fact 
that some mesmeric subjects possessed clairvoyant power; 
that such subjects could, with their eyes " exactly closed by 
the fingers," distinguish objects, tell the color and number 
of cards, and read lines of a book opened at a chance page. 
Without entering into the details of the controversy that fol- 
lowed this report, it is sufficient to say that a standing offer 
of a large sum of money was made to any one who should 
demonstrate the reality of clairvoyant power in the presence 
of a committee appointed for the purpose. It is said that 



EFFECTS OF ADVERSE SUGGESTION 1 . *]>] 

many attempts have been made by good clairvoyants to earn 
this money, but every attempt has ended in total failure. 
Volumes might be written detailing such tests and such 
failures. 

Exhibitions of the phenomena of spiritism are constantly 
liable to utter failure in the presence of avowed sceptics. 
Every one who has attended a " spiritual " seance is 
aware of the strict regard paid to securing " harmonious 
conditions ; " and all know how dismal is the failure when 
such conditions cannot be obtained. It frequently hap- 
pens that some one will inadvertently remark that " spirits 
never come when I am around ; " and in nine such cases 
out of ten the stance will end in failure when such a 
remark is made. Any argument against spiritism, espe- 
cially if addressed to the medium, or any controversy on 
the subject in his presence, will destroy all chance of a 
successful exhibition. Investigating committees nearly 
always fail to observe the promised phenomena when the 
character and objects of the committee are known to the 
medium. Thus, the Seybert Commission, a majority of 
whose members were pronounced sceptics, utterly failed 
to witness any phenomena which might not be produced 
by legerdemain. In their report they take occasion to 
say : — 

" Our experience has been . . . that as soon as an investiga- 
tion, worthy of the name, begins, all manifestations of spiritist 
power cease. ... Even the very spirit of investigation, or of 
incredulity, seems to exercise a chilling effect and prevents a 
successful manifestation." 1 

It will be observed that the last sentence betrays the fact 
that the writer regards " the spirit of investigation " and 
" the spirit of incredulity " as synonymous terms. It is 
certain that the Seybert Commission as a body did so re- 
gard them, and made no effort to conceal the fact from the 
mediums who submitted to be examined. Every medium 

1 Seybert Commission, Report, p. 15. 



*^w* 



78 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

whom they examined was made fully aware of the incre- 
dulity of the majority of the Commission, and thus every 
effort to produce the phenomena failed. 

The same peculiarity is observed in trance-speaking me- 
diums, especially in those who speak in a purely subjective 
condition. No matter how great is their flow of eloquence, 
or how perfect their command of their subject, they utterly 
break down when confronted by an adverse argument. So 
well is this peculiarity known that their friends never suffer 
them to be interrupted. 

It would be useless to multiply instances of this charac- 
ter. It is sufficiently evident from what has been said that 
one invariable result follows the one condition. In the in- 
vestigation of physical phenomena the scientific observer 
would not hesitate to concede that where a marked result 
invariably follows a given condition, the two must sustain 
towards each other the relation of cause and effect. It will 
not be difficult to establish that relation in this case ; and 
that, too, on principles consistent with the supposition of 
the absolute integrity of all concerned. 

It is. in fact, but another striking illustration of the funda- 
mental principles laid down in preceding chapters of this 
book. It demonstrates more completely than almost any 
other phenomenon the absolute amenability of the subjec- 
tive mind to the power of suggestion. It will not be gain- 
said that all the phenomena mentioned — clairvoyance, 
thought-transference, hypnotism, and mediumship — are 
embraced under the one generic title, subjective or hyp- 
notic ; they are therefore governed by the same general 
laws. 

The hypnotic subject who is in the presence of an 
openly sceptical audience, and who hears some one de- 
clare that the subject is shamming, instantly seizes upon 
the declaration ; and it is to him a suggestion that is as 
potent as the one which induced the hypnotic condition. 
The suggestion of the operator is thus neutralized, so to 
speak, by a counter-suggestion, which reduces the subject 
at once to his normal condition. In such a case the sub- 



EFFECTS OF ADVERSE SUGGESTION. 79 

ject cannot be again hypnotized so long as the sceptic is 
present ; his very presence is a standing suggestion of the 
unreality of the hypnotic condition which cannot be over- 
come by the operator. 

In the case of Bishop, the mind-reader, the same prin- 
ciple applies with equal force. The mental state which 
enabled him to read the contents of a_sealed envelope was 
self-induced. It was a partially hypnotic condition, induced 
by auto-suggestion. When Labouchere's envelope was pre- 
sented to him, the very manner of presenting it — the offer 
of its contents as a gift if he would read the number of the 
bank-note within — was a defiance of his power. It was a 
suggestion of the most emphatic character and potency 
that, do what he would, he could not read the contents 
of that envelope. Again, the anxiety engendered in the 
mind of the clairvoyant was another factor which added 
force to the suggestion. The offer was not only defiant, it 
was even public. The whole civilized world was apprised of 
the controversy. The professional reputation of the man 
was at stake. His future career depended upon his suc- 
cess ; and every dollar of value in that note not only added 
to his anxiety to win the prize, but contributed its force to 
the suggestion that he could not succeed. 

There is, however, another factor which should be con- 
sidered in Bishop's case, and which may account for his 
failure on other grounds than adverse suggestion. Bishop 
was a professional mind-reader, and, as I understand it, did 
not profess to have independent clairvoyant powers. If, 
therefore, no one knew the number of the bank-note, it is 
obvious that failure was inevitable, for the reason that the 
fundamental conditions of success were absent. There was 
no mind in possession of the number, and there was no 
mind to read. It was, therefore, not a fair test of his pro- 
fessed powers in any view of the case. But if Labouchere 
did know the number of the note, the failure was easily 
accounted for, as before remarked, on the principle of 
adverse suggestion. 

It is obvious that the principle of adverse suggestion 



8o THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

applies to all phases and conditions of subjective mental 
activity; and the necessity for harmonious conditions, so 
constantly insisted upon by spiritists as a condition pre- 
cedent to the production of their peculiar forms of hypnotic 
phenomena, is seen to be a scientific fact of immense value 
and significance, and not a mere subterfuge to enable them 
to practice a fraud and impose on the credulity of their 
auditors. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 

Warfare of the Schools. — History of the Science. — Mesmer's 
Career. — The Academicians. — The Successors of Mesmer. — 
The Royal Academy of Medicine. — Its Idiotic Prejudices. — Dr. 
Braid's Discovery. — Re-baptism of the Science. — Effects of Braid's 
Discoveries. — Liebault's Theory of Suggestion. — The Nancy 
School and the Paris School compared. — The Fluidic Theory. — 
The Law of Suggestion the Greatest Discovery in Psychic Science. 

— The Significance of Braid's Discoveries not Appreciated. — Hyp- 
notism of Animals. — The Charcot School. — The Sources of its 
Errors. — Reform in Terminology suggested. — The Mesmeric 
Theory. — Braid's Processes not productive of Higher Phenomena- 

— Mesmerization of Animals. — Recapitulation of Points. 

"FHUS far little has been said regarding the light which 
*■ has been shed upon the subject under consideration 
by the discoveries of modern science. The more impor- 
tant of these discoveries having resulted from investigations 
of the subject of hypnotism, it will be necessary briefly to 
review the more salient features of that science, and to 
trace its progress from the time of Mesmer down to the 
present day. 

Since the time when Mesmer first brought his discoveries 
to the attention of the scientific world the students of the 
phenomena which he evoked have been hopelessly at vari- 
ance. That they should entertain diverse theories regarding 
the cause of phenomena so strange and full of mystery is 
natural. That they should, in the absence of knowledge of 
the subject, abuse and vilify each other because of their 

6 



8 2 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

differences of opinion, was to be expected. Hatred of out 
neighbor because his problematical theories do not agree 
with our undemonstrable hypotheses is, unfortunately, one 
of the salient weaknesses of human nature. 

It is, however, comparatively rare that scientific investi- 
gators disagree regarding the demonstrable facts pertaining 
to a subject under investigation. Yet this is the condition 
in which we find the science of hypnotism after more than 
a century of research by some of the ablest scientists of the 
world. They are divided into schools, to-day, as they were 
in the infancy of the science. Indeed, the science is still 
in its infancy. Facts have accumulated, it is true ; and 
they will be found to be of infinite advantage to some 
future investigator whose mind is capable of rising above 
the prejudices which characterize the different schools, and 
of assimilating and harmonizing their demonstrated facts 
into one comprehensive system. 

Thus far the different schools have distrusted or denied 
each other's facts, and waged war upon each other's theories. 
The most carefully conducted experiments of one school 
will, in the hands of the other, produce opposite results. 
Hence each experimenter is irresistibly led to distrust the 
scientific accuracy of the methods employed by others, or 
to admit their integrity only at the expense of their intelli- 
gence. In the mean time each school has conducted its 
experiments seemingly by the most rigid scientific methods 
and with conscientious fidelity to truth ; but the results of 
each apparently disprove the conclusions of all the others. 
Hence it is that, in the bibliography of hypnotism, we find 
an immense mass of well-authenticated facts which, tried by 
the ctandards of any one of the different schools, appears 
like an appalling hodge-podge of falsehood and delusion, 
chicanery and superstition. Indeed, no other science, since 
the dawn of creation, has suffered so much at the hands of 
ignorance and superstition as the science under discussion. 
Its ancient history is the record of the supernatural in all the 
nations of the earth. Its phenomena have been the foun- 
dation of all the religions and all the superstitions of ancient 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 83 

times. Its modern history has also been largely a record 
of superstitious belief, fostered by chicanery and ignorance ; 
the nature of the phenomena being such that in the hands 
alike of honest ignorance and conscious fraud they may be 
made to sanction every belief, confirm every dogma, and 
foster every superstition. It was these facts which drove 
scientific men from the field of investigation in the early 
modern history of the science. Mesmer himself, in the 
light of modern knowledge of the subject, is apt to be ac- 
cused of charlatanism ; but, as we shall see further on, he 
is entitled, in common with all investigators, to the largest 
measure of charity. 

As before remarked, the facts of hypnotism obtained by 
the experimenters of the different schools appear to contra- 
dict each other. This, however, is obviously only an ap- 
parent contradiction, for it is axiomatic that no one fact in 
Nature is inconsistent with any other fact. It follows that 
there must be some underlying principle or principles, here- 
tofore overlooked, which will harmonize the facts. It is the 
purpose of this chapter to outline a few fundamental prin- 
ciples which, properly understood, will enable the student 
of hypnotism to reconcile many seeming inconsistencies. 
An understanding of the salient points of difference between 
the various schools can best be conveyed by briefly outlin- 
ing the modern history of the science. 

Mesmer is entitled to the credit of having first brought 
the subject to the attention of the scientific world, al- 
though probably his attention was attracted to it by the 
writings of Paracelsus and Van Helmont. In the early 
part of his career he was deeply interested in the study 
of astrology, and he fancied that the planets somehow ex- 
erted an influence on the health of human beings. He 
at first thought that this influence was electrical, but after- 
wards referred it to magnetism. At that time his cures 
were effected by stroking the diseased bodies with artificial 
magnets. He achieved considerable success by such means, 
and published a work in 1766 entitled " De Planetarum 
Influxa." In 1776, however, he met Gassner, a Catholic 



84 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

priest who had achieved great notoriety by curing disease 
by manipulation, without the use of any other means. 
Mesmer then threw away his magnets, and evolved the 
theory of " animal magnetism." This he held to be a fluid 
which pervades the universe, but is most active in the 
human nervous organization, and enables one man, charged 
with the fluid, to exert a powerful influence over another. 

Two years after meeting Gassner he went to Paris, and 
at once threw that capital into the wildest excitement by 
the marvellous effects of his manipulations. He was treated 
with contumely by the medical profession; but the people 
flocked to him, and many wonderful cures were effected. 
His methods, in the light of present knowledge, smack of 
charlatanism; but that he believed in himself was demon- 
strated by his earnest demand for an investigation. This 
the Government consented to, and a commission, composed 
of physicians and members of the Academy of Sciences, 
was appointed, of which Benjamin Franklin was a member. 
The report admitted the leading facts claimed by Mesmer, 
but held that there was no evidence to prove the correct- 
ness of his magnetic fluid theory, and referred the wonder- 
ful effects witnessed to the "imagination" of the patients. 
Their conclusion was that the subject was not worthy of 
further scientific investigation. 

It is difficult at this day to conceive by what process of 
reasoning that learned body could arrive at such a conclu- 
sion. They admitted the existence of a motive force ca- 
pable of controlling man's physical organization, that this 
force is amenable to control by man, and that this control 
is capable of being reduced to an art. Then they proceed 
to announce a discovery of their own, — a discovery, by 
the way, which turns out to be the most important which 
modern science had, at that time, contributed to the solu- 
tion of the great problem. They discovered that the phe- 
nomena were purely subjective, thereby demonstrating the 
power of mind over matter. If they had stopped there, 
or if they had concluded that this wonderful force was 
worthy of the most searching scientific investigation, they 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 85 

would have been entitled to the gratitude of all mankind, 
and the science would have been at once wrested from the 
hands of ignorance and empiricism. That they should 
content themselves with disproving Mesmer's theory of 
causation, and, after having themselves made a discovery 
of the true cause, should announce that their own discov- 
ery was not worth the trouble of further investigation, is 
inexplicable. 

Soon after this, Mesmer was driven into exile, followed by 
the execrations of a majority of the medical profession, and 
died in 18 15. He left many disciples, a majority of whom 
were shallow empirics, and mesmerism was brought still 
further into disrepute. There were a few able and scien- 
tific men, however, who still pursued the investigation, 
among whom were the Marquis de Puys^gur, Deleuze, and 
others. These gentlemen revolutionized the art by first 
causing their subjects to sleep by means of gentle manipu- 
lation, instead of surrounding them with mysticism in dimly 
lighted apartments filled with sweet odors and the strains of 
soft and mysterious music, as was the practice of Mesmer. 
They developed in their subjects the power of clairvoyance, 
and demonstrated it in a thousand ways. They caused 
them to obey mental orders as readily as if the orders were 
spoken. They healed the sick, caused the lame to walk, 
and the blind to see. In short, they so far revived the in- 
terest in the subject that the Royal Academy of Medicine 7 
in France, felt compelled to order a new investigation. 
This was done in 1825. A committee was appointed, com- 
posed of the ablest and most cautious scientists in their 
body. For nearly six years that committee pursued its in- 
vestigations, and in 1831 it submitted its report. It would 
be tedious to enumerate all the conclusions at which it 
arrived. Its principal efforts were directed to the deter- 
mination of the therapeutic value of mesmerism. It con- 
firmed much that had been claimed for it in that respect, 
and demonstrated the power of clairvoyance, by indubitable 
tests. It also confirmed the claim that persons could be 
magnetized at a distance as well as by contact, although 



3,6 THE- LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

there is nothing in the report which shows how far the pos- 
sibilities of suggestion were removed in that class of ex- 
periments, Indeed, in deference to truth it must be here 
remarked that mesmerists at that time had but a faint and 
undefined notion of the subtle role which suggestion plays 
in all psychological phenomena. Hence it follows that in 
examining the record of experiments in the higher phe- 
nomena of hypnotism we must make due allowance for 
possible error in all cases where the nature of the experi- 
ments does not preclude the possibility of suggestion having 
influenced the result, or where the possibilities of suggestion 
have not been intelligently eliminated. 

The effect of this report was instantaneous and remark- 
able. The advocates of magnetism as a therapeutic agent, 
and the believers in the occult features of the phenomena, 
such as clairvoyance and thought-transference, had scored 
a triumph. But it served only to exasperate the average 
scientist and to intensify his prejudices. The Academy 
refused to dignify the report by printing it, and it rests 
to-day in silent oblivion in the manuscript archives of the 
institution. Another committee was soon after appointed, 
headed by a member who had openly sworn hostility to the 
doctrine. The result was what might have been expected. 
After the examination of two subjects under circumstances 
which, in the light of what is now known, rendered failure 
inevitable, the committee made a very undignified report, 
announcing the failure to produce the occult phenomena 
promised, and impugning the intelligence of the former 
committee. Strange and illogical as it may seem, the later 
report, which proved nothing, which was confined to an 
announcement of merely negative results, which simply 
showed that the committee did not witness certain prom- 
ised phenomena, was accepted by the average scientist as 
containing the gospel of hypnotism, as against the report 
of the earlier committee, which, after five years of laborious 
research, announced that it had witnessed the phenomena 
in question and demonstrated their reality. 

For some years subsequent to this the investigation of 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. %y 

the subject was confined to its psychological and thera- 
peutic features ; but every scientist who dabbled in it was 
tabooed by the majority of his associates. Many able 
works were produced on the subject, but none of them 
attracted the attention of the academicians until Dr. Braid, 
of Manchester, undertook to demonstrate the theory that 
the hypothetical magnetic fluid had nothing to do with the 
production of the phenomena. Braid discovered that by 
placing a bright object before the eyes of the subject, and 
causing him to gaze upon it with persistent attention, he 
could be thrown into the hypnotic sleep, during which 
many of the well-known phenomena ascribed to magnetism 
could be produced. , This seemed to point to the possi- 
bility of a physiological explanation of the subject-matter. 
It attracted the attention of the scientists, and thus to 
Braid belongs the credit of causing the subject to be at 
last acknowledged as being within the domain of the exact 
sciences. The academicians were now mollified. The pet 
theory of the mesmerists appeared to have been demol- 
ished. The method was simple and easily applied. The 
phenomena of thought-transference could not be produced 
by its methods. It promised a physiological explanation ; 
and, best of all, it had been given a new name. It had 
received many names before Braid undertook the task of 
rechristening it; but, with the exception of " mesmerism," 
each was objectionable, because it implied a theory of 
causation. The name " mesmerism " was obviously im- 
proper, because Mesmer was neither the discoverer of the 
force, nor the inventor of the practical method of evoking 
it. "Animal magnetism" implied Mesmer's theory of 
magnetic currents. " Mental or animal electricity " im- 
plied practically the same theory. " Neurology " indicated 
the science of the nervous system. " Patheism " (from 
the Greek radical signifying disease or suffering) and 
*' etherology " (which means the science of the refined 
part of the atmosphere) were equally meaningless as ap- 
plied to the subject. " Psycodunamy " signified the power 
of the soul ; and " electro-biology " was American, and not 



88 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

to be tolerated. But when Braid denominated it "hyp- 
notism," — from the Greek word signifying sleep, — it was 
hailed as a compromise sufficiently noncommittal to entitle 
it to recognition, and " hypnotism " it will be called until 
some academician drags to light the ultimate cause of all 
things. 

Braid has been accorded a great deal of credit for his 
original researches and discoveries, but it is questionable 
whether he has not been the indirect means of retarding the 
true progress of the science. It is a remarkable fact that 
since his method of hypnotizing has been generally adopted, 
the higher phenomena, such as clairvoyance and thought- 
transference, have fallen into disrepute, and are now rarely 
produced. Indeed, it may be said to be practically a lost 
art, considered as a result of hypnotic processes. The cause 
of this will receive attention hereafter. Braid could not 
cause his subjects to obey his mental orders, and he dis- 
believed in the power of clairvoyance. He acknowledged 
that some of his subjects could tell the shape of what was 
" held at an inch and a half from the skin, on the back 
of the neck, crown of the head, arm, or hand, or other 
parts of the body," but held that " it is from feeling they 
do so." * He demonstrated the extreme sensitiveness of 
one subject by causing her to obey the motion of a glass 
funnel held in his hand, at a distance of fifteen feet. 2 Truly, 
a remarkable case of " feeling." 

Braid is entitled to great credit for the discovery that the 
hypnotic state can be induced independently of the pres- 
ence or co-operation of another person. Further than that, 
his work is practically valueless, for the reason that he 
never understood the power or influence of suggestion. It 
is therefore manifestly impossible to determine the value of 
any experiment of his, except in cases the nature of which 
precludes the possibility of suggestion being employed, or 
in cases where it was expressly eliminated. 

Two facts, however, seem to have been demonstrated by his 
experiments, both of which are of the utmost importance : 

1 Braid on Hypnotism, p. 37, note. 2 Ibid. 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 89 

1. That the hypnotic sleep can be induced indepen- 
dently of personal contact with, or the personal influence 
of, another. 

2. That the sleep can be induced by his method without 
the aid of suggestion. 

The mistake which his followers have made is in jumping 
to the conclusion that because one of the primary condi- 
tions of hypnotic phenomena can be induced without the 
aid of the magnetic hypothesis, therefore the magnetic hy- 
pothesis is necessarily incorrect. The same logic would 
induce a man who for the first time sees a railroad train in 
motion to conclude that any other method of locomotion is 
impracticable. Braid himself was not so illogical; for he 
expressly says that he does not consider the methods iden- 
tical, but does " consider the condition of the nervous sys- 
tem induced by both modes to be analogous." 

Another mistake, shared in common by both the modern 
schools of hypnotists, is the failure to appreciate the signi- 
ficance of the fact that by Braid's method the hypnotic con- 
dition can be induced without the aid of suggestion. One 
school ignores the fact altogether, or considers it of doubt- 
ful verity, and the other regards it merely as an evidence 
that suggestion plays a secondary role in hypnotic phe- 
nomena. That both are to some extent wrong will appear 
at the proper time, as will also the fact of the failure of all 
the schools to grasp its real significance. 

For some years after the appearance of Braid's book there 
was but little, if any, progress made in the science. His 
methods, however, were generally adopted, but the value of 
his discovery was not appreciated by his own countrymen ; 
and it was not until the Continental scientists extended his 
researches that he obtained substantial recognition. Lie- 
bault was the first to confirm his experiments, and in 1866 
he published a work, in which he advanced much that was 
new in fact and theory. He was, in fact, the founder of 
what is now known as the Nancy school of hypnotism. 
Many prominent scientists have followed him, and many 
able works have been produced, prominent among which 



90 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

may be mentioned " Suggestive Therapeutics," by Professor 
Bernheim, and " Hypnotism," by Albert Moll, of Berlin. 

Professor ' Charcot, of the Paris Salpetriere, is also the 
founder of a school of hypnotism, which is generally known 
as the Paris school, or school of the Salpetriere. Charcot's 
great reputation as a scientist obtained for him many fol- 
lowers at first, prominent among whom are Binet and Fere, 
whose joint work, entitled " Animal Magnetism," has been 
widely read both in Europe and America. 

These schools differ widely both in theory and practice, 
their only point of union being their utter contempt for the 
theory and practice of what must still be known, for want 
of a better term, as the mesmeric school. 

These three schools represent the grand divisions which 
it will be necessary to recognize in the discussion of the 
subject under consideration. 

The leading points of difference between the three 
schools may be briefly stated as follows : — 

i. The theory of the Nancy school is that the different 
physiological conditions characterizing the hypnotic state 
are determined by mental action alone ; that the phenomena 
can best be produced in persons of sound physical health 
and perfect mental balance ; and that this mental action 
and the consequent physical and psychological phenomena 
are the result, in all cases, of some form of suggestion. 

2. The Paris school holds that hypnotism is the result of 
an abnormal or diseased condition of the nerves; that a 
great number of the phenomena can be produced indepen- 
dently of suggestion in any form ; that the true hypnotic 
condition can be produced only in persons whose nerves 
are diseased ; and that the whole subject is explicable on 
the basis of cerebral anatomy or physiology. 

3. The mesmerists hold to the fluidic theory of Mesmer : 
that the hypnotic condition is induced, independent of sug- 
gestion, by passes made by the operator over the subject, 
accompanied by intense concentration of mind and will on 
the part of the former ; that from him flows a subtle fluid 
which impinges upon the subject wherever it is directed, 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 9 1 

arid produces therapeutic or other effects in obedience to 
the will of the operator ; that these effects can best be pro- 
duced by personal contact ; but that they can be produced 
at a distance and without the knowledge of the subject, and 
independently of suggestion. 

In discussing the merits of these several schools, it is 
perhaps superfluous to say that it is self-evident that 
neither school can be entirely right. Each presents an ar- 
ray of facts which seems to support its theory ; but as the 
theories are irreconcilable, and the facts apparently contra- 
dict each other, it follows that some fundamental principle 
underlying the whole subject-matter has been overlooked. 
It is the purpose of this book to suggest a possible way to 
the discovery of the principle, — the missing link which 
will unite the chain and bind the facts of psychological 
science into one harmonious whole. 

The Nancy school of hypnotism is entitled to the credit of 
having made the most important discovery in psychological 
science. The fact that the subjective mind is constantly 
amenable to control by the power of suggestion, constitutes 
the grand principle in psychological science, which, when 
properly appreciated and applied, will solve every problem 
and illuminate every obscurity in the labyrinthian science 
of the human soul, so far as it will ever be possible for 
finite intelligence to penetrate it. It is safe to say that 
in all the broad realm of psychological science there is 
not a phenomenon upon which it will not shed light. It 
is no discredit to that school to say that its leaders and 
teachers do not yet seem to comprehend the profound 
significance of their discovery, and that in one direction 
they have extended it too far. It is the latter proposition 
which will first receive attention. 

They hold, very correctly, that all the phenomena of hyp- 
notism, subsequent to the induction of the hypnotic condi- 
tion, are due to the power of suggestion in some form. 
That this is true, admits of no possible doubt. They also 
find by experiment that the hypnotic condition can be in- 
duced simply by the power of suggestion. Their conclu- 



92 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

sion is that suggestion is a necessary factor in the induction 
of the hypnotic condition. That this is not true can be 
very readily demonstrated by reference to a few well-known 
and admitted facts. One of the first discoveries made by 
Braid was that by his methods the hypnotic condition 
could be induced in persons who had never seen or heard 
of hypnotic phenomena. 

The following passage from that learned author seems to 
have been overlooked by those of his commentators who 
seek for evidence in his experiments to prove that sugges- 
tion is a necessary factor in the induction of the hypnotic 
condition : — 

" In order to prove my position still more clearly, I called up 
one of my men-servants, who knew nothing of mesmerism, and 
gave him such directions as were calculated to impress his mind 
with the idea that his fixed attention was merely for the purpose 
of watching a chemical experiment in the preparation of some 
medicine, and being familiar with such, he could feel no alarm. 
In two minutes and a half his eyelids closed slowly with a vibra- 
ting motion, his chin fell on his breast, he gave a deep sigh, and 
instantly was in a profound sleep, breathing loudly. ... In 
about one minute after his profound sleep I aroused him and 
pretended to chide him for being so careless, said he ought to 
be ashamed of himself for not being able to attend to my in- 
structions for three minutes without falling asleep, and ordered 
him downstairs. In a short time I recalled this young man, and 
desired him to sit down once more, but to be careful not to go 
to sleep again, as on the former occasion. He sat down with 
this intention ; but at the expiration of two minutes and a half his 
eyelids closed, and exactly the same phenomena as in the former 
experiment ensued." x 

Now, whilst it is true that Braid did not realize the su- 
preme potency of suggestion as it is now understood by the 
Nancy school, he did intelligently eliminate it in the experi- 
ment above related. It was his purpose to demonstrate his 
theory that " the phenomena of mesmerism were to be ac- 
counted for on the principle of a derangement of the state 
of the cerebro-spinal centres, and of the circulatory and 

1 Neurypnology, p. 18. 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 93 

respiratory and muscular systems." 1 In other words, he was 
seeking to demonstrate his theory that the phenomena of 
mesmerism are attributable to a physical rather than a 
mental cause. Hence his care to select a subject who 
knew nothing of what was expected of him. 

Braid relates another circumstance equally demonstrative 
of the proposition that suggestion is not a necessary factor 
in the induction of the hypnotic state. He says : — 

"After my lecture at the Hanover Square Rooms, London, 
on the 1 st of March, 1842, a gentleman told Mr. Walker, who 
was along with me, that he was most anxious to see me, that I 
might try whether I could hypnotize him. He said both himself 
and friends were anxious he should be affected, but that neither 
Lafontaine nor others who had tried him could succeed. Mr. 
Walker said, ' If that is what you want, as Mr. Braid is engaged 
otherwise, sit down, and I will hypnotize you myself in a minute.' 
When I went into the room, I observed what was going on, the 
gentleman sitting staring at Mr. Walker s finger, who was stand- 
ing a little to the right of the patient, with his eyes fixed steadily 
on those of the latter. I passed on and attended to something 
else ; and when I returned a little after, I found Mr. Walker 
standing in the same position, fast asleep, his arm and finger in 
a state of cataleptiform rigidity, and the patient wide awake 
and staring at the finger all the while." 2 

This is a clear case of the induction of the hypnotic con- 
dition without the aid of suggestion. Mr. Walker had no 
thought of going into the state himself, but was intent on 
hypnotizing the patient. The suggestion in his mind was, 
therefore, in the opposite direction. He had, however, in- 
advertently placed himself in the proper attitude, and so 
concentrated his gaze as to induce the state, and that 
directly contrary to his auto-suggestion. 

These two instances have been cited from Braid for the 
reason that (1) he was the discoverer of the method of 
hypnotizing by causing the subject to gaze steadily upon 
an object; and (2) he was not attempting to prove or dis- 
prove the theory of suggestion. His testimony is obviously 
all the more reliable for that reason, for one is prone to 

1 Neurypnology, p. 19. 2 Ibid., p. 39. 



94 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

distrust the verity of experiments made for the purpose o? 
sustaining a theory. Many facts have been recorded which 
demonstrate the proposition that by Braid's method the hyp- 
notic state can be induced independently of suggestion. 
One class only of such facts needs to be cited to convince 
the most sceptical. 

I allude to religious devotees, who are often thrown into 
the hypnotic state, even to the degree of ecstasy, by gazing 
upon the crucifix, or upon pictures of the Holy Virgin or of 
the saints. The Catholic clergy would seem to have a dim 
perception of the principle involved when they elevate the 
cross above the eyes of those in whom they wish to excite 
devotional enthusiasm. Be that as it may, the fact is of 
scientific value to the investigator of psychological phe- 
nomena. The natural attitude of prayer — the eyes raised 
towards heaven — is certainly not only conducive to devo- 
tional feeling, but, in emotional natures, to a state at least 
cognate to hypnotism, if not identical with it. Hence the 
subjective hallucinations which often result from the long 
and earnest prayers of religious enthusiasts. 

More conclusive still is the fact that animals can be hyp- 
notized. Albert Moll, who is one of the ablest, and cer- 
tainly one of the most unprejudiced, of modern scientific 
writers on the subject of hypnotism, writing from the stand- 
point of the Nancy school, makes the following observations 
on the subject of hypnotizing animals : — 

" States resembling, or perhaps identical with, hypnosis, are 
also found in animals, and can easily be experimentally induced. 
The first experiments of this kind are referred to by the Jesuit 
Kircher, — the so-called experi?nentum mirabile Kircheri. 
Kircher described these experiments in 1646; but according 
to Preyer, the experiment had been made by Schwenter several 
years earlier. The most striking of these experiments, which 
are being continued in the present day, is as follows : A hen is 
held down on the ground ; the head in particular is pressed 
down. A chalk line is then drawn on the ground, starting from 
the bird's beak. The hen will remain motionless. Kircher as- 
cribes this to the animal's imagination ; he said that it imagined 
that it was fastened, and consequently did not try to move. 
Czermak repeated the experiment on different animals, and an- 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM, 95 

nounced in 1872 that a hypnotic state could be induced in other 
animals besides the hen. Preyer shortly after began to interest 
himself in the question, and made a series of experiments like 
Czermak's. Preyer, however, distinguishes two states in ani- 
mals, — catalepsy, which is the effect of fear ; and the hypnotic 
state. Heubel, Richet, Danilewsky, and Rieger, besides the 
authors mentioned above, have occupied themselves with the 
question. 

" Most of the experiments have been made with frogs, cray- 
fish, guinea-pigs, and birds. I have made many with frogs. 
This much is certain : many animals will remain motionless in 
any position in which they have been held by force for a time. 
There are various opinions as to the meaning of this. Preyer 
thinks many of these states are paralyses from fright, or cata- 
lepsy, produced by a sudden peripheral stimulus. In any case 
they vividly recall the catalepsy of the Salpetriere, also caused 
by a strong external stimulus." 1 

The experiments of Kircher, above mentioned, were un- 
dertaken with a view of demonstrating his theory that ani- 
mals possessed great powers of imagination. The chalk 
mark, he held, represented to the imagination of the hen a 
string with which she supposed herself to be bound. In his 
day, of course, nothing was known of hypnotism. It has 
since been demonstrated that the chalk mark has nothing 
to do with the production of the phenomenon. The same 
result follows when the chalk mark is omitted. The writer 
has hypnotized a pet rooster by Braid's method without 
using any violence whatever, or even touching the fowl. 
He was exceedingly tame, and it was only necessary to hold 
a small object directly before his eyes ; when his attention 
was attracted, he would gaze steadily upon it, and in a 
very few minutes would go fast asleep. This could not have 
been a catalepsy caused by fright, nor could it have been 
the result of a belief in his inability to move, nor a periphe- 
ral stimulus caused by friction against the skin, nor could it 
have been suggestion. In fact, there is no legitimate con- 
clusion apparent except that it was a true hypnosis, identical 
with that produced on human beings by Braid's methods. 

1 Moll on Hypnotism, p. 213. 



96 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA, 

This branch of the subject has been dwelt upon some- 
what at length, not merely for the purpose of showing that 
the adherents of the Nancy school carry the doctrine of 
suggestion too far, but because it is an important point in 
the study of the subject, and throws a flood of light upon 
many important and perplexing problems, as will be seen 
hereafter. The principle to be borne in mind is this : 
hypnosis can be produced by Braid's method either with 
or without the aid of suggestion. 

This does not militate in the slightest degree against the 
doctrine of suggestion when its powers and limitations are 
properly understood. It still remains true that all hypnotic 
phenomena subsequent to the induction of the condition 
are the result of suggestion in some form. This is the 
grand discovery of the Nancy school ; and when it is once 
appreciated and understood, it will be found to constitute 
the master-key which will unlock the secrets of every psy- 
chological mystery. That it is unqualifiedly true no longer 
admits of serious doubt; it is acknowledged by nearly 
every scientist in the civilized world who has given the sub- 
ject intelligent attention. It is true that the great name of 
Charcot has commanded a following ; but however valuable 
may have been his observations in the infancy of the sci- 
ence, it has become obvious to most of his former followers 
that his fundamental hypothesis is defective, and that his 
conclusions are therefore necessarily unreliable. 

The discussion of the merits of the Paris school will be 
brief, and will be chiefly confined to a statement of the 
reasons for considering its experiments and conclusions 
unreliable, and to pointing out a few of the more obvious 
sources of its errors. 

The first source of error lies in the fact that the experi- 
ments of this school are made almost exclusively upon 
hysterical women. The assumption is that hypnotism is a 
nervous disease, and that the disease is found in its most 
pronounced form in hysterical subjects. That this propo- 
sition is unqualifiedly wrong is positively known to every 
student of hypnotism outside the Paris school, and needs 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 97 

no further refutation than the bare statement that the expe- 
rience of all other schools goes to demonstrate the fact that 
the best hypnotic subjects are perfectly healthy persons. 

Another source of error lies in the fact that they ignore 
suggestion as a necessary factor in the production of hyp- 
notic phenomena. Of course they are aware of the potency 
of suggestion when purposely and intelligently employed ; 
but they hold that very many of the most important of the 
phenomena can be produced without its aid. These, how- 
ever, are principally physical effects, such as causing any 
muscle of the body to contract by pressing upon the corre- 
sponding nerve, and then releasing the tension by exciting 
the antagonistic muscle. The condition necessary for the 
production of this phenomenon is called by Charcot, " neuro- 
muscular hyperexcitability." In the able and interesting 
work by Binet and Fere, pupils of Charcot, a chapter is 
devoted to this branch of the subject. They record, with 
a scientific exactitude that is very edifying, many curious 
results in the way of causing contracture of various muscles 
by kneading, pressure, percussion, etc., releasing the ten- 
sion by exciting the opposing muscles, and transferring the 
contractures from one muscle to another by the magnet. 
Then, with an ingenuousness that is truly charming, they 
add, as a "singular fact," that "contractures can be easily 
produced in many hysterical patients in their waking state, 
either by kneading the muscles, by pressure on the nerves, 
or by striking the tendons. These contractures in the wak- 
ing state are, indeed, of the same nature as those which 
occur during lethargy, since they yield to the excitement of 
the antagonistic muscles, and may be transferred by the 
magnet." 

After this admission it seems superfluous to remark that 
this class of experiments prove nothing more than that the 
state of neuro-muscular hyperexcitability is a pathological 
symptom common to hysterical patients, whether in the 
waking state or in hypnotic lethargy. They certainly prove 
nothing which can be construed as characteristic of hypno- 
tism ; and the Nancy school wastes its time in demonstrat- 

. 7. 



98 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

ing that the symptoms cannot be reproduced in healthy 
persons except by the aid of suggestion. 

Another serious error into which the Charcot school has 
fallen in its effort to eliminate the effects of suggestion con- 
sists in the assumption that subjects in the lethargic state 
know nothing of what is passing around them, either ob- 
jectively or subjectively. No greater mistake is possible. 
The subjective mind never sleeps. No matter how profound 
the lethargy, it is ever alert, and comprehends instantly, 
with preternatural acuteness, everything that occurs. Pro- 
fessor Bernheim, in the preface to " Suggestive Therapeu- 
tics," makes the same assertion. He says : — 

" One should first be aware of the fact that in all degrees of 
hypnosis the subject hears and understands everything, even 
though he may appear inert and passive. Sometimes the senses 
are particularly sharp in this state of special concentration, as 
if all the nervous activity were accumulated in the organ of 
which the attention is solicited." 

The state of lethargy is that in which Charcot supposes 
his subjects to be incapable of receiving a suggestion. 
Acting upon that hypothesis, it is not astonishing that he 
should deceive himself as well as the students and specta- 
tors attending his clinic. He believes that they hear noth- 
ing when they hear everything. It is easy to see how every 
suggested phenomenon is promptly produced under such 
conditions. But there is one phenomenon of which the 
learned professor fails to note the significance, and that is, 
that, no matter how profound the lethargy, his subject 
promptly awakens at the word of command. 

The simple truth regarding the experiments of the Paris 
school is in a nutshell. Its fundamental error lies in the 
assumption that hypnosis has a purely physical origin, and 
that the phenomena are explicable on physiological prin- 
ciples. The phenomena which can be produced indepen- 
dently of suggestion are purely physical, and depend upon 
the physical condition of neuro-muscular hyperexcitability. 
That this is true is shown by the fact that the physical phe- 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 99 

nomena produced by Charcot upon his hysterical patients 
cannot be produced on healthy subjects without the aid of 
suggestion. But such experiments do not properly belong 
to the domain of psychic science proper, but rather to the 
Bradian system of physical manipulation. This is as much 
as confessed by Binet and F£re, when they divulge the fact 
that the physical phenomena in question can be produced 
on hysterical patients in their waking condition. 

Another prolific source of error which besets the path- 
way of the Paris school consists in its disbelief in, and con- 
sequent disregard of, the possibility that its subjects may 
be possessed of clairvoyant or telepathic powers. That 
this frequently happens, especially in subjects of the char- 
acter employed by Charcot and his coadjutors, admits of no 
possible doubt in the minds of those who have studied the 
higher phases of hypnotic science. The London Society 
for Psychical Research has demonstrated beyond all question 
the fact that telepathy is a power possessed by many ; and 
the early mesmerists have shown conclusively that the hyp- 
notic condition is the one of all others the most favorable 
for the development and exhibition of that power. This 
subject will be dwelt upon more at length in its proper 
place. It is sufficient for present purposes to remark that 
no line of experiments in hypnotism, in which telepathy 
and clairvoyance are ignored as possible factors, can be 
held to be demonstrative of any proposition or theory what- 
ever. But whatever of pathological value or interest may 
be attached to the physical phenomena evoked by the Paris 
school, they certainly shed no light upon psychological sci- 
ence, nor do they properly belong to that domain. 

And just here I wish to suggest a reform in the nomen- 
clature of the science under consideration. The word 
" hypnotism " was adopted by Braid at a time when he 
regarded himself as the discoverer of a principle which em- 
braced the whole science of induced sleep. It is from the 
Greek word "hypnos," which broadly signifies sleep. But, 
without some qualifying word, it is too broad, inasmuch as 
the system to which Braid applied it is now known to be 

LofC. 



100 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

but one of many processes of inducing sleep. He imagined 
that he had discovered a full explanation of all psychic 
phenomena of the class then known as mesmeric ; whereas 
he had only discovered the one fact that the sleep could 
be induced by producing an abnormal physical condition 
of certain nerve-centres. It was a very important dis- 
covery, for psychic science would be incomplete without 
it ; but it does not constitute the whole science. It does, 
however, explain many phenomena otherwise inexplicable, 
and marks a line of distinction which could not otherwise 
be drawn. The methods of the Charcot school are essen- 
tially Braidian, and hence its results are limited largely to 
physical phenomena, and its conclusions necessarily pertain 
to physical science. 

The Nancy school, on the other hand, produces all its 
phenomena by oral suggestion, and ignores the fact that the 
sleep can be induced in the absence of any form of sug- 
gestion. It repudiates Braid's method of inducing it as 
unnecessary, and also as injurious, in that the physical dis- 
turbance of the nerve-centres unduly excites the patient. 

The mesmeric school differs from both the others in 
methods and theory, as we shall see further on. 

It seems necessary, therefore, that the terminology of the 
science should be changed so as clearly to define the theo- 
retical differences of the three schools. It is obvious, how- 
ever, that the terminology cannot be based on results, for 
they are inextricably intermingled. Thus, the Braidian or 
Charcot operator might accidentally produce psychic phe- 
nomena identical with that produced by the mesmerists, 
and vice versa. And so might the suggestive school. In- 
deed, the writings of both schools occasionally betray the 
fact that they sometimes catch glimpses of something in 
their patients which defies chemical analysis, and cannot be 
carved with the scalpel. 

The terminology must, therefore, refer to the methods of 
inducing the subjective state. If the word " hypnotism " is 
to be retained because it embraces all degrees of induced 
sleep by whatsoever process it may have been induced, it 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. ioi 

would seem proper to designate the Braidian process as 
physical hypnotism, the Nancy process as suggestive hyp- 
notism, and the mesmeric process as magnetic, or fluidic, 
hypnotism. 

I merely throw this out as a suggestion to be considered 
by future writers on the subject. For my own purposes I 
shall hereafter employ the word "hypnotism" to define 
the Braidian and suggestive processes as distinguished from 
all others when these are contrasted, while the word " mes- 
merism " will be employed as it is generally understood. 
When they are not contrasted, " hypnotism " will be used 
as a generic term. 

Last in the order of mention, but really first in impor- 
tance, is the school of mesmerism. The theory of the mes- 
merists has undergone little, if any, modification since it 
was first promulgated by Mesmer himself. It is, as before 
stated, that there exists in man a subtle fluid, in the nature 
of magnetism, which, by means of passes over the head and 
body of the subject, accompanied by intense concentration 
of mind and will on the part of the operator, can be made 
to flow from the ends of his fingers and impinge upon the 
subject, producing sleep and all the varied subsequent phe- 
nomena at the will of the operator. In the early days of 
mesmerism suggestion was ignored as a possible factor in 
the production of the phenomena, this law not having been 
discovered previous to the experiments of Liebault. The 
same is practically true to-day. Mesmerism has made very 
little progress within the last half century. Its votaries 
cling to the old theories with a pertinacity proportioned to 
the opposition encountered at the hands of the hypnotists. 
On the whole, the progress of mesmeric science, per se, has 
been backward since the discoveries of Braid, — not be- 
cause Braid disproved the fluidic theory, for he did not 
disprove it, nor did he claim to have done so, but for 
reasons which will appear in their proper place. 

Suggestion is now, as before the discoveries of Liebault, 
ignored by mesmerists as a necessary factor either in the 
induction of the mesmeric condition, or in the production 



102 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

of the subsequent phenomena. In this they are partly 
right and partly wrong. Suggestion, in the ordinary accep- 
tation of the term, — that is, oral suggestion, — is not an 
indispensable factor in the induction of the condition. This 
is shown in a great variety of ways. One fact alone de- 
monstrates the principle, and that is, that subjects who 
have been often mesmerized by a particular individual can 
be by him thrown into that state, under certain favorable 
conditions, even though the two may be many miles apart. 
Account is not taken in this of the many experiments of 
the old mesmerists, who previously informed their subjects 
of the intended experiment. But many instances might be 
cited where this has been accomplished under test condi- 
tions, the element of suggestion being carefully eliminated. 
The writer has mesmerized a subject at a distance of three 
hundred miles, and that under conditions which rendered 
oral or objective suggestion impossible. Particular instances 
will not be cited here, for the reason that in subsequent 
chapters of this book the principle involved will be rendered 
so plain that further proofs would be superfluous. A 
further demonstration of this principle lies in the fact that 
children, too young to understand what is expected of 
them, and animals of various kinds, can be mesmerized. 
This is abundantly proved by the experiments of Wilson, 
who, as early as 1839, mesmerized elephants, horses, wolves, 
and other animals in London. Obersteimer states that in 
Austria the law requires army horses to be mesmerized for 
the purpose of shoeing them. This process was introduced 
by a cavalry officer named Balassa, and hence it has been 
termed and is now known as " the B alas siren of horses " 
(Moll). This is the secret of the celebrated horse-tamers, 
Sullivan and Rarey. By their methods the wildest colts 
and the most vicious horses could be subdued in an hour. 
Mesmerism is the power exerted by the lion-tamer and 
the snake-charmer. The power is often exerted uncon- 
sciously, — that is, without a knowledge on the part ot 
the operator of the source of his power. 

The mesmerists of the present day are not, of course, 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 1 03 

ignorant or unmindful of the potency of suggestion in the 
production of mesmeric phenomena subsequent to the in- 
duction of the condition. But, like the Paris school of hyp- 
notists, they hold that suggestion plays a secondary role in 
the production of many of the phenomena. That they are 
wrong in this will more fully appear in subsequent chapters 
of this book. 

The points of difference between the three schools of 
this science have now been reviewed, and the theories of 
each briefly stated. It is found, — 

1. That the Nancy school attributes all the phenomena, 
including the induction of the state, to the power of sug- 
gestion, and that it is to the psychic powers and attributes 
of man alone that we must look for an explanation. 

2. The Paris school, on the other hand, ignores sugges- 
tion as a necessary factor either in the induction of the 
state or in the production of subsequent phenomena, and 
seeks an explanation of the subject-matter on the bases of 
physiology and celebral anatomy. 

3. The mesmerists ignore suggestion as a necessary factor 
at any stage of their experiments, and explain the whole on 
the magnetic fluid theory. 

We also find three distinct methods of inducing the sleep ; 
and as it is of the utmost importance to bear the different 
methods in mind, they will be here restated : — 

The Nancy school, true to its theory, employs suggestion 
alone to induce the condition. Passes are sometimes made 
over its subjects after the manner of the mesmerists, but 
only with a view of giving an air of mystery to the proceed- 
ings, and thus adding potency to the suggestion. 

The Paris school employs physical means to induce the 
state almost exclusively. They are practically the same as 
those employed by Braid, namely, causing the subject to gaze 
steadily at a bright object, — although many variations of 
the method have been introduced, such as flashing an elec- 
tric light in the eyes of the subject, striking a gong without 
warning close to his ears, or by some peripheral excitation, 
such as rubbing the scalp, etc. 



104 THE LAW 0F PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

The mesmeric method proper consists in making passes 
from the head downwards, gazing fixedly into the subject's 
eyes, and concentrating the mind upon the work in hand, 
strongly willing the subject to sleep. It is true that many 
of the so-called mesmerists now employ Braid's method en- 
tirely, and others depend largely upon suggestion. But the 
true mesmeric method is as has been stated. 




CHAPTER IX. 

HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM {continued). 

Mesmeric Methods. — The Fluidic Theory. — Influence of the Mind of 
the Operator. — The Early Mesmerists. — Their Methods and their 
Effects. — Decadence of the Higher Phenomena under Braid's 
Methods. — The Causes explained. — Telepathic Powers devel- 
oped by Mesmerism. — Mesmerism as a Therapeutic Agent. — 
Method of Operation recommended. — How to acquire the Power. 
— The Necessary Conditions of Success. — Will Power ex- 
plained. — The Fluidic Theory requires Revision. — Distinction 
between Mesmerism and Hypnotism sharply drawn. — Mesmeri- 
zation of Animals distinguished from the Hypnotization of Ani- 

- mals. — Methods employed in Each. — Tamers of Horses and 
Wild Beasts. — Dog-Trainers. — Primitive Man. — His Powers. — 
His Immunity from Harm. — Daniel. — The Adepts. — General 
Conclusions. 

T^HAT the magnetic hypothesis of the mesmerists has 
* many facts to sustain it cannot be denied. The ex- 
perience of thousands goes to show that when passes are 
made over them, even at a distance of several feet, a sensation 
is felt akin to a gentle shock of electricity, which produces 
a remarkably soothing effect upon the nervous system, and 
eventually produces the mesmeric sleep. It is also known 
that when patients are mesmerized for therapeutic pur- 
poses, and passes are made over the affected part, the same 
soothing effect is produced, and pain is relieved. In fact, 
if we consider mesmerism solely as a therapeutic agent, and 
study it from that standpoint alone, the fluidic hypothesis 
is perhaps as good as any. But when we come to study 
mesmeric phenomena as a part, and only a very small part, 



106 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

of a grand system of psychological science ; when we ex- 
amine it in its relations to other phenomena of a cognate 
character, — it is found that the fluidic theory should be 
received with some qualification. 

The first thought which strikes the observer is that, ad- 
mitting the fluidic theory to be substantially correct, the 
fluid is directed and controlled entirely by the mind of the 
operator. It is well known that passes effect little or noth- 
ing if the attention of the operator is distracted, from any 
cause whatever. The subject may be put to sleep, it is 
true, solely by the power of suggestion ; but the peculiar 
effects of mesmerism, as distinguished from those of hyp- 
notism, will be found wanting. The effects here alluded to 
consist mainly of the development of the higher phenom- 
ena, such as clairvoyance and telepathy. 

It is well known that the early mesmerists constantly and 
habitually developed telepathic powers in their subjects. 
Causing their subjects to obey mental orders was a common 
platform experiment half a century ago. These experi- 
ments were often made, under test conditions, by the most 
careful and conscientious scientists, and the results are re- 
corded in the many volumes on the subject written at the 
time. Many of these works were written by scientists whose 
methods of investigation were painstaking and accurate to 
the last degree. In the light of the developments of mod- 
ern science, in the light of the demonstrations, by the 
members of the London Society for the Promotion of 
Psychical Research, of the existence of telepathic power, 
we cannot read the works of the old mesmerists without 
having the conviction forced upon us that telepathy was 
developed by their experiments to a degree almost un- 
known at the present day. Why it is that the power to de- 
velop that phenomenon by mesmerists has been lost or has 
fallen into desuetude, is a question of the gravest scientific 
interest and importance. The hostility and ridicule of the 
academicians undoubtedly had its effect on many minds, 
and caused many scientific investigators to shrink from 
publicly avowing their convictions or the results of their 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. IOJ 

investigations. But that does not account for the fact that 
mesmerists, who believe in the verity of the phenomena, 
are raiely able to produce it at the present day. 

The first question which presents itself is one of dates. 
When did the higher phenomena show the first signs of 
decadence ? A moment's reflection will fix it at or about 
the date of the promulgation of the theories of Dr. Braid. 
It is a historic fact, well known to all who have watched 
the progress of hypnotic science, that as soon as it was 
found that the mesmeric or hypnotic sleep could be in- 
duced by causing the subject to gaze upon a bright object 
held before his eyes, all other methods were practically 
abandoned. It was much easier to hold an object before 
the subject's eyes for a few minutes, with the mind at rest, 
than to make passes over him for an indefinite length of 
time, accompanying the passes by fixity of gaze and intense 
concentration of mind. The important point to bear in 
mind right here is the fact that in the old mesmeric method, 
fixity of gaze and concentration of will on the part of the 
operator, were considered indispensable to success. It 
seems clear, then, that it is to this change of methods that 
we must look for an explanation of the change in results. 
That being conceded, we must inquire how the conditions 
were changed by the change of methods. What effects, if 
any, either in the condition of the subject or of the opera- 
tor, or in both, are missing when the new methods are 
applied ? 

It is now necessary to recall to mind the fact (i) that 
Braid demonstrated that suggestion is not a necessary 
factor in the induction of the hypnotic state ; and (2) that 
steadily gazing upon an object will induce the condition 
in a more or less marked degree, whether the subject is 
expecting the result or not. The intelligent student will 
so readily recall thousands of facts demonstrating this 
proposition that it is safe to set it down as an axiom in 
hypnotic science that intense gazing upon an object, accom- 
panied by concentration of mind, will displace the thresh- 
old of consciousness to a greater or less extent, depending 



108 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

upon the mental characteristics of the individual and the 
circumstances surrounding him. The subjective powers are 
thus brought into play. The subjective mind is released, 
or elevated above the threshold of consciousness, and per- 
forms its functions independently of, or synchronously with, 
the objective mind, just in proportion to the degree of 
hypnosis induced. It may be only in a slight degree, it 
may be imperceptible to those surrounding him, or it may 
reach a state of complete hypnosis, as in the cases men- 
tioned by Braid ; but certain it is that the subjective pow- 
ers will be evoked in exact proportion to the degree of 
causation. The conclusion is obvious and irresistible that 
when a mesmerist employs the old methods of inducing the 
subjective state, — passes, fixed gazing, and mental concen- 
tration, — he hypnotizes himself by the same act by which he 
mesmerizes the subject. 

The far-reaching significance of this fact will be instantly 
apparent to those who are aware that telepathy is the nor- 
mal means of communication between two subjective minds, 
and that it is only between subjective minds that telepathy 
can be employed. The objective mind has no part or lot 
in telepathy until the threshold of consciousness is dis- 
placed so as to enable the objective mind to take cogniz- 
ance of the message. It will be understood, therefore, 
that when the subject is mesmerized, and all his objective 
senses are in complete abeyance, and the operator with 
whom he is en rapport is in a partially subjective state, the 
conditions exist which render possible the exhibition of 
telepathic powers. 

This is what was meant when it was said in an earlier 
chapter of this book that the discoveries of Braid had 
really served to retard the progress of hypnotic science ; 
not because his discoveries are not of the utmost practical 
value, but because much of their true significance has been 
misunderstood. The fact that persons can be hypnotized 
by his methods, and that many of the phenomena common 
to mesmerism can be produced by that means, is a fact of 
vast importance ; but it is only one link in the great chain, 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 109 

and not the whole chain, as his followers would have us 
believe. The later discovery of the law of suggestion was 
also of the most transcendent interest and importance ; but 
it is not the whole law of psychic science. This, too, has 
helped to retard the progress of the science in its higher 
branches. When it was discovered that suggestion by itself 
could induce the hypnotic state, Braid's methods were in 
turn abandoned by students of the science. This was partly 
because it was easier than Braid's method, and partly be- 
cause it produced less physical and mental excitement, and 
hence, for therapeutic purposes, was less liable to excite the 
patient unduly. But the fact remains that neither by Braid- 
ism nor by the suggestive method can the subject ordina- 
rily be made to respond telepathically. It is true that there 
might be exceptions to the rule. If, for instance, the ope- 
rator in employing either of the methods should come in 
physical contact with the subject, and should at the same 
time happen to concentrate his gaze upon some object for 
a length of time, and fix his mind upon the work in hand, 
he would be very likely to come into telepathic communi- 
cation with the subject. That this has often happened 
there can be no doubt ; and it constitutes one of the pos- 
sible sources of error which lie in the pathway both of the 
Paris and the Nancy schools. It is perhaps superfluous to 
remark that the higher phenomena of hypnotism can only 
be developed with certainty of results by throwing aside 
our prejudices against the fluidic theory, and employing the 
old mesmeric methods. 

In this connection it is deemed proper to offer a few 
suggestions as to the best methods to be employed for 
producing mesmeric effects, either for therapeutic or for 
any other purposes. 

It is recommended, for several reasons, that the mes- 
meric passes be employed. First, they are so generally 
believed to be necessary that they greatly assist by way of 
suggestion. Secondly, they are a great assistance to the 
operator, as they enable him more effectually to concen* 
trate his mind upon the work in hand, and to fix his atten* 



I IO THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

tion upon the parts which he desires to affect. Thirdly, 
they operate as a suggestion to the operator himself, which 
is as necessary and as potent to effect the object sought as 
is suggestion to the subject. Fourthly, whether the fluidic 
theory is correct or not, the power, whatever it is, appears 
to flow from the fingers ; and, inasmuch as it appears to do 
so, the effect, both upon the mind of the operator and of the 
subject, is the same as if it were so, — the great desideratum 
being the confidence of both. 

The most important point to be gained, however, is self- 
confidence in the mind of the operator. Without that no 
greater results can be produced by mesmeric methods than 
by the process of simple oral suggestion. The latter affects 
the mind of the subject alone, and all the subsequent effects 
are due solely to the action of his mind. Mesmeric meth- 
ods, on the other hand, if properly applied, supplement the 
effects of oral suggestion by a constant force emanating 
from the subjective mind of the operator. In order to 
evoke that force it is necessary for the operator to inspire 
his own subjective mind with confidence. This can be 
done by the simple process of auto-suggestion. The power 
to do this does not depend upon his objective belief. The 
power to control subjective belief is inherent in the object- 
ive mind ; and that control can be made absolute, even in 
direct contradiction to objective belief. If, therefore, the 
mesmeric operator doubts his power over his subject, he 
can, nevertheless, exert all the necessary force simply by 
reiterated affirmation to himself that he possesses that 
power. This affirmation need not, and perhaps should 
not, be uttered aloud. But it should be constantly reite- 
rated mentally while the passes are being made ; and if in 
addition to this he concentrates his gaze upon the open or 
closed eyes of the subject, or upon any part of the head or 
face, the effect will be all the more powerful. Whatever 
effect is desired should be formulated in the mind of the 
operator, and reiterated with persistency until it is produced. 
The principle involved is obvious, and easily understood. 
The subject is passive, and receptive of subjective mental 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. m 

impressions. The subjective mind of the operator is 
charged with faith and confidence by auto-suggestion. 
That faith is impressed telepathically upon the subjective 
mind of the patient; and even though his objective be- 
lief may not coincide with the subjective impression thus 
received, the latter obtains control unconsciously to the 
subject, and the end is accomplished. 

The power to mesmerize by this method is within the 
reach of any one with sufficient intelligence to understand 
the directions, and sufficient mental balance to follow them 
with persistency ; provided always the subject is willing to 
be mesmerized, and is possessed of the requisite mental 
equilibrium to enable him to become passive and receptive. 
All mesmerists and all hypnotists agree in holding that 
self-confidence is a necessary part of the mental equipment 
of the successful operator. This is true. It is also true 
that the possession of the requisite confidence is the one 
thing which distinguishes the successful from the unsuccess- 
ful operator. The foregoing remarks show how that confi- 
dence can be commanded, in spite of objective unbelief. 

Much has been said by mesmerists about the exertion of 
"will power;" but no one has ever explained just how 
that power is to be exerted, or in what it consists. Most 
people seem to imagine that it is exercised by compressing 
the lips, corrugating the brows, and assuming a fierce, 
determined, not to say piratical, aspect. It is perhaps 
needless to remark that the attitude of mind indicated by 
such an aspect is the farthest possible from that which is 
required for the successful exercise of so-called will power. 
It requires no mental or nervous strain to exert that power. 
On the contrary, a calm serenity of mind is indispensable, " 
When that is acquired, the only other requisites are confi- 
dence and an earnest desire to bring about the results 
sought. That these three requisites can easily be acquired 
by any one of common intelligence has already been 
shown. 

From what has been said it seems evident that the force 
developed by mesmeric manipulations has its origin in 



112 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

mental action. That that is the motive power is certain. 
Whether this mental action creates or develops a fluid akin 
to magnetism, is a question which may never be solved. 
Nor is it deemed important that it should be ; and it may 
be as well to class it at once among the many things un- 
knowable, as to waste valuable time in a vain effort to 
wrest the secret from Nature. Electricity is known as a 
great force in physical nature ; and it is harnessed and 
made to perform many services to mankind. Like all the 
great forces of nature, it is invisible, except through its 
effects, and it defies analysis. It will never be known to 
man except as one of the great correlated forces. It is 
equally impossible to know just what the force is which 
emanates from the mesmerist and controls his subject. We 
know that it exists, and that it can be utilized, and that is 
all. Whether it is a fluid or not is as impossible to know 
with certainty as it is to know what electricity is made of, 
if we should determine it to be a substance. 

For some purposes, as has been remarked, the fluidic 
hypothesis is as good as any, and for such purposes it may 
be provisionally accepted. But the question is, Will that 
hypothesis apply to all the phenomena? If that question 
is answered in the negative, it demonstrates its incorrect- 
ness, and it becomes imperative that it should be aban- 
doned. When mesmeric passes are made over a patient, a 
fluid appears to emanate from the hands of the operator. 
An effluence of some kind certainly does come from that 
source, and one that is perceptible to the physical senses of 
the patient. Is it not a fact, nevertheless, that the passes 
are principally useful as a means of controlling the minds 
both of the subject and the operator? There are many 
facts which seem to point unmistakably in that direction. 
The one fact alone that persons can be mesmerized at a 
distance, seems conclusive. No passes are then made, and 
yet all the effects of personal contact are produced. Thou- 
sands of persons have been healed at a distance, by simple 
concentration of mind on the part of the operator, the 
patient knowing absolutely nothing of the proposed expert 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 113 

ment. This branch of the subject will be more fully treated 
in a future chapter on psycho-therapeutics. It is sufficient 
to remark now that the method of healing here indicated is, 
when intelligently applied, the most effective of all systems 
of mental therapeutics. And the significant fact is that in 
the majority of cases the best results are produced when 
the patient is kept in absolute ignorance of what is being 
done for him. The reason for this will more fully appear 
as we proceed. 

Again, the manner of mesmerizing animals is proof posi- 
tive that the successful exercise of mesmeric power is not 
dependent upon passes made by the hand of the operator, 
for the usual method is to gaze steadily into the eyes of the 
animal. 

And this brings us to the discussion of some important 
distinctions pertaining to the mesmerization of animals, 
which seem not to have been observed by the investigators 
of that subject, but which show more clearly than almost 
anything else the line of distinction between hypnotism and 
mesmerism. 

The intelligent reader will not have failed to observe that 
the effect produced upon hens, frogs, crayfish, guinea-pigs, 
and birds is purely hypnotic. The methods employed are 
Braid's. That is to say, they are purely physical, sometimes 
produced by sudden peripheral stimulus, as in flashing a 
Drummond light in the eyes of a cock (Richer). But in 
general the external stimulus used with animals is tactile, as 
in seizing them (Moll) ; or in causing them to gaze upon 
an object, as in Kircher's method of hypnotizing a cock ; 
or in gently stroking the back, as in hypnotizing a frog or a 
crayfish. Each of these methods may be classified as a 
hypnotic process, and the full equivalent of the method dis- 
covered by Braid. The effect is also purely hypnotic ; that 
is to say, sleep is induced, varying in degree from a light 
slumber to a profound lethargy. 

On the other hand, such animals as horses, wild beasts, 
etc., may be mesmerized, but not hypnotized. The pro- 
cesses are purely mesmeric, and generally consist in gazing 



114 THE LAW 0F PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

into the animal's eyes. The effect is simply to render the 
animal docile, and obedient to the will of the operator. No 
one was ever able to put an animal to sleep by gazing in- 
to its eyes ; but the most ferocious of the animal tribe may 
be tamed and subjected to the dominion of man by that 
simple process. A celebrated horse-tamer, who travelled 
through this country a few years ago, was in the habit of 
astonishing and amusing his audiences by selecting the 
wildest horse present, walking up to him, gazing into his 
eyes (apparently) for a few moments, and walking away, 
when the horse would follow him wherever he went, appar- 
ently as perfectly fascinated as any hypnotic or mesmeric 
subject was ever fascinated by a professional mesmerist. 
A close observation of the horse-tamer's methods revealed 
the fact that he simply rolled his eyes upward and inward, 
precisely as Braid compelled his subjects to do by holding 
a bright object before their eyes. He did not gaze into 
the eyes of the horse at all, but simply held himself in that 
attitude for a few moments, in close proximity to the horse's 
head, when the object was accomplished, and the horse 
became obedient to every command that it was capable of 
comprehending. It is probable that the horse-tamer knew 
as little of the secret of his power as did the horse. The 
tamers of wild beasts proceed in the same manner, and 
probably with as little knowledge of the principles under- 
lying the method. 

Now, the question arises, What is the effect thus produced 
on the animal? It is certainly not hypnotized by being 
compelled to gaze into the eyes of the operator, for suffi- 
cient time is not given to " fatigue the muscles of the eye." 
Besides, the animal cannot be compelled to gaze at any- 
thing. Is not the primary effect — hypnotic or mesmeric 
— produced, not directly upon the animal, but upon the man 
himself ? It seems clear that this is the true solution of the 
problem. Braid has taught us that by steadily gazing at 
any object a man can hypnotize himself without knowing, or 
having it suggested to him, that it is possible for him to do 
so. The man, then, is partially hypnotized by gazing into 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. H5 

the animal's eyes. The threshold of his consciousness is 
thus displaced. His subjective powers are brought into 
play, and in that condition his subjective mind is en rap- 
port with that of the animal. The mind of the animal, 
being almost purely subjective, is thus dominated by the 
imperious will of his master, — man. That telepathy is 
the normal means of communication between animals 
cannot be doubted by any one who has observed their 
habits with intelligence. That man has the power, under 
certain conditions, to enter into telepathic communication 
with animals, there are thousands of facts to demonstrate. 
In a recent English work on the training of dogs, 1 this sub- 
ject is alluded to in the following language : — 

" As I before remarked, a man to be a first-rate dog-breaker 
must have lots of animal magnetism. Now, I do not doubt that 
in nearly every man who is born into the world this faculty ex- 
ists to a greater or less extent. It is the force of will that de- 
velops it ; and the more it is developed, the stronger it becomes. 
While, on the other hand, if the will is naturally weak, and no 
other pains are taken to strengthen it, it falls into abeyance, and 
in time, I think, is utterly lost, — and that sometimes beyond 
recall. 

" That there is such a power as this, no one who has ever had 
any experience with animals will attempt to deny. Take the 
horse, for instance. This is the easiest subject on which to 
exert the power, simply because the rider, and even the driver, 
is in closer contact with it than with any other animal. 

" As an example, take two somewhat timid, highly bred young 
horses, and put them side by side at the tail of a flying pack of 
hounds. Both their riders are equally good men as far as nerve, 
hands, and seat are concerned ; but the one is a cut-and-thrust, 
whip-and-spur sort of fellow, while the other is a cool, quiet, 
deliberate customer, of sweet manners but iron will. As they 
cross the first half-a-dozen flying fences, side by side, it wants 
a keen eye to mark any difference in the execution. The differ- 
ence, as a rule, will consist only in the different ways in which 
the horses land after their jumps, — the one will pitch a little 
heavily, a little ' abroad,' a little as if he got there somehow, 
but did not quite know how ; whilst the other will land lightly, 

1 Scientific Education of Dogs. By H, H. London, p. 85. 



Il6 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

exactly in the right spot, and precisely as if the two partners were 
one. 

" How comes this? One horse is being steered by physical 
power and science only ; the other by a wonderful force, which 
joins together in one two minds and two bodies. 

" Now, see the test. Yonder waves a line of willows, and 
both riders know that the biggest and nastiest water jump in 
the county is ahead of them. Both equally mean to get over ; 
but if they do, it will be in two different fashions : the one will 
compel his horse to jump it by sheer physical force ; the other 
will jump it, if it is jumpable at all, as the ' senior partner ' of 
the animal he bestrides. Down they go, sixty yards apart, and 
each, say, has picked a place which it is only just possible for a 
horse to cover; neither horse can turn his head ; for, at the last 
stride, the velvet hands have become grips of iron. Splash goes 
Number i ; he went as far as he could : but that last two feet 
wanted just an impetus which was absent. How about Number 
2 ? The rider has fixed his eye, and his mind with it, on yonder 
grassy spot on the other side of the water, and, sure enough, the 
fore-feet are simply ' lifted ' into it by something inward, not out- 
ward - r but only the fore-feet. Still, the calculation of the strung- 
up mind has entered into that, the stirrups have been cast loose 
in the ' fly,' and the moment the hoofs touch the bank, the rider 
is over his horse's head, with reins in hand ; a second more, the 
horse is beside him ; yet another, and they are away forward, 
without losing more than a minute. 

" Assheton Smith expressed in some manner — but only in 
some manner — what I mean in his well-known dictum, ' Throw 
your heart over a fence, and your horse is sure to follow.' 

" I could give hundreds of instances and anecdotes of this 
magnetic power of the rider over the horse, but one will suffice 
to prove my point. 

" I was out for a ride one day with an argumentative friend 
along the road, and was on a very celebrated old hunter that 
had been my friend and partner for many a season. We 
were talking on this subject, and my friend scoffed at the very 
idea of such a thing as a sort of visionary nonsense. A hun- 
dred yards ahead there was an intersecting cross-road, at right 
angles to that on which we were riding. I pulled up my horse. 

" ' Now,' I said, ' look here ; I will prove my theory to you. 
Choose and tell me which of these roads my horse shall take. 
You shall ride three lengths behind me ; I will throw the reins 
on his neck, and I will bet you a sovereign he goes the way I 
will him ; and you shall be the judge whether it is possible for 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. \\J 

me to have influenced him by any word, touch, or sign, — only, 
you must keep at a walk, and not utter a word or a sound.' 

"He made the bet, and fixed on the right hand cross-road as 
being the one he knew very well the horse had never been 
before, whilst the two others were both roads to ' meets.' 

" I simply fixed my eyes and my will on the road, and when 
the horse arrived at the spot, he turned down with the same 
alacrity as if his stable had been in full view. 

" I need not say that I have many times tried the same ex- 
periment, and that with many variations and many different 
horses, and hardly ever failed, — indeed, on American prairies I 
have found the habit once or twice a dangerous nuisance, inas- 
much as the then involuntary exercise of the power has, when I 
have been myself lost, influenced the horse to go the wrong way, 
because I was thinking it was the right one, whereas, if he had 
been let alone, he would not have made a mistake. 

" Now, this magnetic power can be used with dogs, only in an 
inferior degree to horses." 

The author then goes on to relate numerous instances, 
some of them truly marvellous, in which he demonstrated 
his power over dogs. He was evidently intelligently con- 
scious of his power, but did not know the conditions neces- 
sary to enable him to exercise it with uniform potency. 

The most striking manifestations of the force under con- 
sideration are by professional tamers of wild beasts. The 
reason of this lies in the simple fact that they uniformly em- 
ploy the means necessary to its development, — namely, fix- 
ing their eyes upon those of the beast. This is the traditional 
method. Its potency has been recognized for ages, although 
the philosophical principles underlying it have never been 
understood. 

The conditions necessary for the exercise of this power 
are : first, the subjective, or partially subjective, condition 
of the operator ; and secondly, his perfect faith and confi- 
dence in his power. The first is easily attained by the 
simple process developed by Braid. The second comes 
from successful practice, but may be commanded by the 
power of auto-suggestion, as I have already shown. 

History is full of instances going to show that man, in 
the subjective condition, is always safe from harm by wild 



Il8 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

animals. The subjective powers of primitive man were un- 
doubtedly far superior to any now possessed by any one 
save, perhaps, the East Indian adepts. Before the develop- 
ment of objective means of communication in the form of 
speech, his ideas were conveyed to his fellows by telepathy. 
And just in proportion to the development of objective 
means of communication did he cease to employ, and finally 
lose, his primitive methods and powers. God gave him 
dominion over the beasts of the field and the fowls of the 
air. In his primitive condition he was destitute of effective 
weapons of offence or defence, such as have been evolved 
during the long ages of a later civilization. He was sur- 
rounded by a monstrous fauna, capable of annihilating the 
present race of civilized mankind, could it be suddenly re- 
surrected and turned loose in its old numbers and haunts. 
In what consisted the power of primitive man to assert and 
maintain his God-given dominion over the monsters of his 
day and generation ? It must have been the same power 
which is now exceptionally exercised by the artificial dis- 
placement of the threshold of consciousness, thus develop- 
ing in a small degree his long dormant subjective powers. 
His dominion was then a true one, all-potent, and far more 
perfect and effective than it is to-day, with all the appli- 
ances of civilization at his command. 

Facts of record are not wanting to sustain the proposi- 
tion that man in a subjective, or partially subjective, con- 
dition is safe from the attacks of wild beasts. One of the 
first recorded instances, and the one most familiar, is 
the story of Daniel. Daniel was a prophet, — a seer. At 
this day he would be known in some circles as a spiritual 
medium ; in others, as a mind-reader, a clairvoyant, etc., — 
according to the conception of each individual as to the 
origin of his powers. In other words, he was a man pos- 
sessed of great subjective powers. He was naturally and 
habitually in that state in which, in modern parlance, the 
threshold of his consciousness was displaced, and the powers 
of his soul were developed. In this state he was thrown 
into the lions' den, with the result recorded. The sceptic 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. \ 19 

as to the divine authenticity of the Scriptures can readily 
accept this story as literally true when he recalls the experi- 
ments made in Paris a few years ago. In that city a 
young lady was hypnotized and placed in a den of lions. 
The object of the experiment is not now recalled ; but the 
result was just the same as that recorded of the ancient 
prophet. She had no fear of the lions, and the lions paid 
not the slightest attention to her. 

The adepts of India, and even the inferior priests of the 
Buddhistic faith, often display their power by entering the 
jungles, so infested by man-eating tigers that an ordinary 
man would not live an hour, and remain there all night, 
with no weapons of defence save the God-given powers of 
the soul. 

The power of idiots, and persons afflicted with certain 
forms of insanity, to tame and subdue animals has often 
been remarked. In such persons the objective mind is 
either wholly or partially in abeyance, and the subjective 
mind is proportionally active. Their immunity from harm 
by animals, however ferocious, is proverbial. 

Volumes might be filled with facts showing the power 
of the subjective mind of man over animals ; but enough 
has been said to demonstrate the fact that the power exists, 
and that under certain well-defined conditions it can be 
exercised by any person of ordinary intelligence. 

It is believed that enough has been said to show the 
source of the power developed by mesmeric processes, as 
distinguished from the results of hypnotism. It has been 
seen that the primary source of power is in the mesmerist, 
that it is developed by processes which place him in the 
same condition as, or in a condition cognate to, that in 
which the subject himself is placed, and that when these 
conditions exist, and just in proportion to the perfection 
of these conditions, can the phenomena of telepathy, 
clairvoyance, and all the higher phenomena of subjective 
activity be produced. 

The difference between the effects of mesmerism on 
man and animals is one of degree only; and the differ- 



120 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

ence of degree is determined only by their difference in 
intelligence. The laws are the same. When a man is 
mesmerized, his subjective mind may be stimulated to activ- 
ity, whether his objective mind is 'completely in abeyance 
or not. If it is completely in abeyance, the subjective 
phenomena will be all the more pronounced and complete. 
But when an animal is put to sleep, little or no subjective 
phenomena can be exhibited, for the simple reason that 
he has not the power of speech, and his intelligence is 
otherwise limited. The same law also governs the produc- 
tion of hypnotic phenomena in men and animals alike. An 
animal can be put to sleep by hypnotic processes ; but he 
cannot be made to exhibit subjective phenomena during 
that sleep, owing solely to the limitations of his intelligence. 
He is not capable of receiving and understanding a sugges- 
tion. Besides, in hypnotism, as has been shown, there is 
no telepathic rapport existing between the operator and the 
subject. Consequently the phenomena which may be ex- 
hibited through or by means of mesmeric processes, which 
grow out of telepathic rapport, cannot be exhibited in 
hypnotism. 

It may be thought that the laws governing the production 
of mesmeric phenomena show that the law of suggestion is, 
after all, limited in its scope and application. This is not 
true, except in the sense that suggestion, as has already 
been shown, is not a necessary element in the induction of 
the hypnotic state. The proposition that the subjective 
mind is constantly amenable to control by suggestion is not 
affected in the slightest degree by mesmeric phenomena. 
On the contrary, they distinctly prove the universality of 
that law. Suggestion is not necessarily limited to oral 
communication. Nor is it necessarily a communication 
which can be taken cognizance of by means of any of the 
objective senses. Telepathic communication is just as 
much a suggestion to the subjective mind as is oral speech. 
Indeed, telepathic suggestion is often far more effective 
than objective language, as will be clearly shown in a 
future chapter on the subject of psycho-therapeutics. 



HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM. 121 

Hence the power to mesmerize at a distance. In such 
cases, however, it seems to be necessary that the operator 
and subject should be by some means brought into tele- 
pathic rapport. When that has been done, especially 
when the rapport has been established by the subject 
having been previously mesmerized by the same operator, 
it is perfectly easy to mesmerize at a distance. In such a 
case no previous arrangement is necessary. The suggestion 
is then purely mental. But it is suggestion, nevertheless, 
and demonstrates the universality of the law. Numerous 
instances of the exercise of this power by purely telepathic 
methods are cited in the able work on Hypnotism by 
Professor Bjornstrom, to which the reader is referred for 
particulars. 

One further remark should be made regarding the power 
to mesmerize at a distance, and that is, that it depends 
solely upon the faith and confidence of the operator. 
Distance, or space, as it is cognized by our objective senses, 
does not appear to exist for the subjective mind. There is, 
therefore, nothing in distance, per se, to prevent the full 
effects of mesmeric power from being felt at the antipodes 
just as plainly and effectively as it is in the same room. We 
are, however, so in the habit of regarding distance as an 
adverse element that it is difficult to overcome the adverse 
suggestion, that it conveys. When this principle is once 
understood and fully realized, there will be nothing to pre- 
vent an operator from exercising his power at any dis- 
tance he may desire 




CHAPTER X. 

HYPNOTISM AND CRIME. 

Platform Experiments misleading. — Their Utter Inutility as a Test. 

— So-called " Tests " described and explained. — Sexual Outrages 
impossible. — Auto-suggestion protects the Virtuous. — A Willing 
Subject necessary. — Demonstrative Experiments. — Modern Au- 
thorities cited against themselves. — Professor Gregory's Views. 

— The Elevated Moral Tone of Subjects when mesmerized. — 
Successful Suggestion of Suicide impossible. ~ The Three Normal 
Functions of the Subjective Mind. — Self-Preservation. — Propa- 
gation. — Preservation of Offspring. — Instinctive Auto-sugges- 
tion. — Indifference on Near Approach of Death. — A Universal 
Law. — Illustrative Incidents. — Suggestive Criminal Abortion im- 
possible. — Premonitions explained. — The Daemon of Socrates. — 
Clairaudience. — The Instinct of Death. — Hypnotism in Juris- 
prudence. — Testimony Valueless. — Vital Secrets impossible to 
obtain. — Doctors must not monopolize the Forces of Nature.— 
The Folly of Adverse Legislation. 



BEFORE leaving the subject of hypnotism, I deem it 
proper to say a few words on one of its branches 
which is just now attracting the attention alike of students 
of the science and the public at large. The idea is being 
very generally promulgated among the people that the abil- 
ity of one man to mesmerize or hypnotize another implies 
the possession of a very dangerous power, and one which, 
in the hands of an unscrupulous man, may be used for 
criminal purposes. It is perhaps not strange that such an 
idea should prevail among those who have not studied the 
science except by observation of platform experiments, 
which are designed rather to amuse than to instruct. 
There is something so mysterious in the whole subject, 



HYPNOTISM AND CRIME. 123 

viewed from the standpoint of an audience assembled to 
witness experiments of this character, that it would be 
strange indeed if the average man were not impressed 
with an indefinable dread of the power of the hypnotist. 
He sees him, by means of certain mysterious manipula- 
tions, throw his subject into a profound sleep, and awaken 
him by a snap of the fingers. He sees the subject im- 
pressed with all manner of incongruous ideas, — made to 
believe that he is Diogenes, or a dog, at the will of the 
operator. He is made to ride an imaginary horse-race, 
astride a deal table, or to go in swimming on the bare 
floor. He is made to see angels or devils ; to wander in 
the Elysian fields of paradise, or to scorch in the sulphu- 
rous fires of hell ; to feel pain or pleasure, joy or sorrow, — 
all at the caprice of the man in whose power he has placed 
himself. All this, and much more, can be seen at public 
exhibitions of hypnotism, and under conditions that leave 
no doubt in the mind of the observer, of the genuineness 
of the phenomena. He sees his friends, for whose integ- 
rity he can vouch, go upon the platform and become sub- 
ject to the same mysterious power. Still doubting, he may 
go upon the stage himself, only to find that he is amenable 
to the same subtle influence, controllable by some power 
that is to him agreeable, yet mysterious, indefinable, incom- 
prehensible. At first he perfectly comprehends all his ob- 
jective surroundings, remembers afterwards all that took 
place, and very likely fancies that he obeyed the sugges- 
tions of the hypnotist merely to please him and to avoid 
doing anything to mar the harmony of the occasion. Later 
on he learns that his supposed complacency was really an 
irresistible impulse to obey the will of the hypnotist. As 
the experiments proceed he experiences the sensation of 
double consciousness. He is told that in his hand he 
holds a delicious fruit, — a strawberry, perhaps. He is still 
possessed of sufficient objective consciousness to know that 
there is really no strawberry in his hand, and yet he sees it 
plainly, feels it, smells it, tastes it, and experiences all the 
satisfaction incident to having actually eaten the fruit. He 



124 THE LAW 0F PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

is able to converse rationally on the subject, and to express 
his amazement at the vividness and apparent reality of the 
subjective sensation. After a few repetitions of the experi- 
ments he loses all consciousness of his objective environ- 
ment, yields unquestioning obedience to the suggestions of 
the hypnotist, and retains no recollection, after he is awak- 
ened, of what occurred when he was in the somnambulic 
condition. His friends inform him of the many wonderful 
things which occurred, of his ready obedience to all sugges- 
tions, — how he made a speech far transcending his natu- 
ral abilities, under the influence of a suggestion that he was 
Daniel Webster; how he flapped his wings and crowed 
when told that he was a cock; and so on through the 
repertoire of platform experiments. He is now strongly 
impressed with the idea that he was controlled by a power 
that he could under no circumstances resist. But, wishing 
to pursue his investigations further, he resolves to test the 
question whether this power can be employed for criminal 
purposes. A few friends are called together, a hypnotist is 
employed, and a few well-trained subjects are invited to 
give a private exhibition for the benefit of " science." In 
order to give the proposed psychological experiment an 
undoubted scientific value, a few doctors of physic are in- 
vited to be present, — not because they know anything 
about psychology or of hypnotism, but because it is well 
known that they have heard something about the latter 
science, particularly that it has been found to be a great 
therapeutic agent, and they are just now deeply interested 
in proving that hypnotism, in the hands of any one outside 
of the medical profession, must necessarily be employed 
for the perpetration of crime. 

We will now suppose that the guests are assembled and 
the experiments are about to be made. The question is 
freely discussed in the presence of the subjects, each one 
of whom is duly impressed with the idea that he is about 
to become the instrument of science for the elucidation and 
definite settlement of the great problem of the age. The 
subject is now duly hypnotized, and the inevitable paper 



HYPNOTISM AND CRIME. 1 25 

dagger is placed in his hands. An imaginary man in a 
distant part of the room is pointed out, and the subject is 
informed that the said man is his mortal enemy • and he is 
duly advised that the best thing he can do under the cir- 
cumstances is to proceed to slaughter the enemy aforesaid. 
This he has no hesitation in doing, and he proceeds to do 
it with great dramatic effect. He sneaks up to his victim 
in the style of the last heavy villain he . has seen on the 
stage, and plunges the imaginary dagger into the hypothet- 
ical man, amidst the applause of the assembled village 
wisdom. 

The next subject is duly hypnotized, and informed that 
he is a noted pickpocket. The guests are pointed out as 
a good crowd to work for " wipers," or whatever is thieves' 
slang for pocket-handkerchiefs. The subject accepts the 
suggestion at once, and, with much show of cunning, pro- 
ceeds to relieve the guests of whatever is within his reach. 

The next subject is advised that he is an accomplished 
burglar, and that a neighboring house is overflowing with 
plunder. He enters into the spirit of the suggestion with 
great alacrity, and a committee is duly appointed to accom- 
pany him to the scene of pillage. The neighbor is, mean- 
time, apprised of the proposed burglary, and every facility 
is afforded, in the interest of " science." (The reader will 
remember that actual occurrences are being described.) 
The burglary is completed with great skill and promptitude, 
and a miscellaneous collection of valuables is brought away 
and equitably divided with the hypnotist. 

The above are fair samples of the " scientific " experi- 
ments which are just now being largely indulged in, and 
which are believed to demonstrate the possibility of em- 
ploying hypnotism as an instrument of crime. " If the 
average subject," it is argued, " in a state of profound hyp- 
notic sleep, is so amenable to the power of suggestion as to 
plunge a paper dagger into an imaginary enemy at the bid- 
ding of a hypnotist, it follows that a criminal hypnotist 
possesses unlimited power to cause any one of his subjects 
to plunge a real dagger into any victim whom the hyp< 



126 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

notist may select for slaughter." If the conclusions were 
correct, the power would be indeed formidable, and, in 
the hands of unscrupulous men, dangerous. Much has 
been written on the subject of the possibility of sexual out- 
rage by means of hypnotism, and a few cases are reported 
in the books. None of them, however, bear the unmistak- 
able stamp of genuineness, and most of them bear internal 
evidence of fraud. The best authorities on the subject are 
now free to confess to very grave doubts, at least, of the 
possibility of crime being instigated by this means. Thus, 
Moll, 1 one of the latest and certainly one of the ablest 
writers on the subject, has the following : — 

" There are important differences of opinion about the of- 
fences which hypnotic subjects may be caused to commit. 
Li£geois, who has discussed the legal side of the question of 
hypnotism in a scientific manner, thinks this danger very great, 
while Gilles de la Tourette, Pierre Janet, Benedikt, and others, 
deny it altogether. 

" There is no doubt that subjects may be induced to commit 
all sorts of imaginary crimes in one's study. I have made 
hardly any such suggestions, and have small experience on the 
point. In any case, a repetition of them is superfluous. If the 
conditions of the experiment are not changed, it is useless to 
repeat it merely to confirm what we already know. And these 
criminal suggestions are not altogether pleasant. I certainly 
do not believe that they injure the moral state of the subject, 
for the suggestion may be negatived and forgotten. But these 
laboratory experiments prove nothing, because some trace of 
consciousness always remains to tell the subject he is playing a 
comedy (Franck Delbceuf), consequently he will offer a slighter 
resistance. He will more readily try to commit a murder with 
a piece of paper than with a real dagger, because, as we have 
seen, he almost always dimly realizes his real situation. These 
experiments, carried out by Lidgeois, Foreaux, and others in 
their studies do not, therefore, prove danger." 

Such experiments prove nothing, simply because they 
are experiments. The subject knows that he is among his 
friends. He has confidence in the integrity of the hypno- 

1 Hypnotism, p. 337. 



HYPNOTISM AND CRIME. 1 27 

tist. He is most likely aware of the nature of the proposed 
experiments. He enters into the spirit of the occasion, 
resolved to accept every suggestion offered, and to carry 
out his part of the programme in the best style, know- 
ing that no possible harm can befall him. Moreover, he 
knows that if he performs his part to the satisfaction of his 
auditors, he will receive their applause ) and applause to 
the subjective mind is as sweet incense. For, be it 
known, the average hypnotic subject is inordinately vain 
of his accomplishments. 

All those considerations are, however, merely negative 
evidence against the supposition that the innocent hyp- 
notic subject can be made the instrument of crime, or the 
victim of criminal assault against his will. These experi- 
ments prove nothing, that is all. Nor do they disprove 
anything. We must, therefore, look elsewhere for positive 
evidence to demonstrate the impossibility of making the 
innocent subject the instrument or the victim of crime. 
This evidence is not difficult to find. 

It will be unnecessary to travel outside the domain of 
admitted, recorded, and demonstrated facts in order to 
prove the utter impossibility of victimizing virtue and inno- 
cence by means of hypnotism. Indeed, it is difficult to 
understand how any one who recognizes the law of sug- 
gestion, and its universal application to psychological phe- 
nomena, can believe for one moment that hypnotism can 
be made the instrument of crime. Yet we find disciples 
of the Nancy school who seem to imagine that to hold 
that it cannot be so employed is equivalent to an admission 
that the law of suggestion is not of universal application. 
The fact is that just the contrary is true. It is one of the 
strongest demonstrations of the universality of the law that 
hypnotism cannot be so employed. 

The first proposition in the line of the argument is that 
when two contrary suggestions are offered to the hypnotic 
subject, the strongest must prevail. It needs no argument 
to sustain this proposition ; it is self-evident. 

The next proposition, almost equally plain, is that auto- 



128 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

suggestion as a factor in hypnotism is equal in potency, 
other things being equal, with the suggestion of another. 

Auto-suggestion is now recognized as a factor in hypno- 
tism by all followers of the Nancy school. Professor Bern- 
heim mentions it as an obstacle in the way of the cure of 
some of his patients. One case that he mentions was that 
of a young girl suffering from a tibio-tarsal sprain. " I 
tried to hypnotize her," says Bernheim ; "she gave herself 
up to it with bad grace, saying that it would do no good. 
I succeeded, however, in putting her into a deep enough 
sleep two or three times. But the painful contracture per- 
sisted : she seemed to take a malicious delight in proving 
to the other patients in the service that it did no good, 
that she always felt worse. . . . The inrooted idea, the 
unconscious auto-suggestion, is such that nothing can pull 
it up again. When the treatment was begun, she seemed 
to be convinced that hypnotism could not cure her. Is it 
this idea, so deeply rooted in her brain, which neutralizes 
our efforts and her own wish to be cured?" 1 

Moll, more distinctly than Bernheim, recognizes the powei 
of auto-suggestion as a potent factor which must always be 
taken into account in conducting experiments ; although 
he, like Bernheim, strangely forgets to take it into account 
when he discusses hypnotism in its relations to crime. The 
following passage, for instance, should have been incorpo- 
rated in his chapter on the Legal Aspects of Hypnotism : 

" Expressions of the will which spring from the individual 
character of the patient are of the deepest psychological interest. 
The more an action is repulsive to his disposition, the stronger 
is his resistance (Forel). Habit and education play a large part 
here; it is generally very difficult successfully to suggest any- 
thing that is opposed to the confirmed habits of the subject. 
For instance, suggestions are made with success, to a devout 
Catholic ; but directly the suggestion conflicts with his creed, it 
will not be accepted. The surroundings play a part also. A 
subject will frequently decline a suggestion that will make him 
appear ridiculous. A woman whom I easily put into cataleptic 

1 Suggestive Therapeutics, p. 214. 



HYPNOTISM AND CRIME. 129 

postures, and who made suggested movements, could not be in 
duced to put out her tongue at the spectators. In another such 
case I succeeded, but only after repeated suggestions. The 
manner of making the suggestion has an influence. In some 
cases it must be often repeated before it succeeds ; other sub- 
jects interpret the repetition of the suggestion as a sign of the 
experimenter's incapacity, and of their own ability to resist. 
Thus it is necessary to take character into account. It is often 
easier to induce some action by suggesting each separate move- 
ment than by suggesting the whole action at once (Bleuler). 
For example, if the subject is to fetch a book from the table, 
the movements may be suggested in turn : first the lifting, then 
the steps, etc. (Bleuler.) 

" It is interesting to observe the way in which resistance is 
expressed, both in hypnotic and post-hypnotic suggestion. I 
myself have observed the interesting phenomenon that subjects 
have asked to be awakened when a suggestion displeased them. 

" Exactly the same resistance is sometimes offered to a post- 
hypnotic suggestion. It is possible in such a case that the 
subject, even in the hypnotic state, will decline to accept the 
suggestion. Many carry out only the suggestions to which 
they have assented (Pierre Janet). 

" Pitres relates an interesting case of a girl who would not 
allow him to awake her, because he had suggested that on wak- 
ing she would not be able to speak. She positively declared 
that she would not wake until he gave up his suggestion. But 
even when the suggestion is accepted as such, a decided resist- 
ance is often expressed during its post-hypnotic execution. This 
shows itself as often in slow and lingering movements as in a 
decided refusal to perform the act at all. The more repugnant 
the acting, the more likely is it to be omitted." a 

Thousands of experiments . are daily being made which 
demonstrate the impossibility of controlling the hypnotic 
subject so far as to cause him to do that which he believes 
or knows to be wrong. A common platform experiment-is 
that of causing subjects to get drunk on water, under the 
suggestion that it is whiskey. It frequently happens that 
one or more of the subjects are conscientiously opposed to 
the use of strong drink as a beverage. Such persons inva- 
riably decline, in the most emphatic manner, to indulge in 

1 Hypnotism, p. 171. 
9 



130 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA, 

the proposed debauch. Like all such experiments on the 
stage before a mixed audience, they are passed by as simply 
amusing, and no lesson is learned from them. The intelli- 
gent student, however, cannot fail to see the far-reaching 
significance of the refusal of a subject to violate his tem- 
perance principles. Again, every platform experimenter 
knows that whilst he can cause a crowd of his subjects to 
go in swimming in imaginary waters, he can never induce 
them to divest themselves of their clothing beyond the lim- 
its of decency. Some cannot even be made to take off their 
coats in presence of the audience. Others will decline to 
accept any suggestion, the pursuance of which would cause 
them to appear ridiculous. 

Again, it is well known to hypnotists that an attempt to 
contradict or argue with a subject in the hypnotic state in- 
variably distresses him, and persistency in such a course 
awakens him, often with a nervous shock. A conflict of 
suggestions invariably causes confusion in the subjective 
mind, and generally results in restoring the subject to 
normal consciousness. 

Now, what is an auto-suggestion? In its broad significa- 
tion it embraces not only the assertions of the objective 
mind of an individual, addressed to his own subjective mind, 
but also the habits of thought of the individual, and the set- 
tled principles and convictions of his whole life ; and the 
more deeply rooted are those habits of thought, principles, 
and convictions, the stronger and more potent are the auto- 
suggestions, and the more difficult they are to overcome by 
the contrary suggestions of another. It is, in fact, impossible 
for a hypnotist to impress a suggestion so strongly upon a 
subject as to cause him actually to perform an act in viola- 
tion of the settled principles of his life. If this were not 
true, suggestion would mean nothing ; it would have no 
place in psychological science, because it would not be a 
law of universal application. The strongest suggestion must 
prevail. 

It will thus be seen that the question as to whether hyp- 
notism can be successfully employed for criminal purposes, 



HYPNOTISM AND CRIME. 131 

must be determined in each individual case by the charac- 
ter of the persons engaged in the experiment. If the sub- 
ject is a criminal character, he might follow the suggestions 
of a criminal hypnotist, and actually perpetrate a crime. 
In such a case, a resort to hypnotism for criminal purposes 
would be unnecessary, and no possible advantage could be 
gained by its employment. 

It is obvious that the same rule applies to sexual crimes ; 
and it may be set down as a maxim in hypnotic science that 
no virtuous woman ever was, or ever can be, successfully 
assaulted while in a hypnotic condition. This is a corollary 
of the demonstrated propositions which precede it ; and it 
admits of no exception or qualification. 

A virtuous woman is, indeed, in less danger of successful 
assault while in that state than she is in her normal condi- 
tion, for the simple reason that hypnotic subjects are always 
endowed with a physical strength far superior to that pos- 
sessed in the normal condition. Besides, it is the observa- 
tion of every successful hypnotist that the moral tone of the 
hypnotic subject, while in that condition, is always elevated. 
On this subject we will let the late Professor Gregory 
speak : — 

" When the sleeper has become fully asleep, so as to answer 
questions readily without waking, there is almost always ob- 
served a remarkable change in the countenance, the manner, 
and the voice. On falling asleep at first, he looks, perhaps, 
drowsy and heavy, like a person dozing in church, or at table 
when overcome by fatigue, or stupefied by excess in wine, or by 
the foul air of a crowded apartment ; but when spoken to, he 
usually brightens up, and although the eyes be closed, yet the 
expression becomes highly intelligent, quite as much so as if he 
saw. His whole manner seems to undergo a refinement which, 
in the higher stages, reaches a most striking point, insomuch 
that we see, as it were, before us a person of a much more ele- 
vated character than the same sleeper seems to be when awake.' 
It would seem as if the lower, or animal, propensities were laid to 
rest, while the intellect and higher sentiments shone forth with 
a lustre that is undiminished by aught that is mean or common. 
This is particularly seen in women of natural refinement and 
high sentiments ; but it is also seen in men of the same stamp, 



I32 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

and more or less in all. In the highest stages of the mesmeric 
sleep the countenance often acquires the most lovely expres- 
sion, surpassing all that the great artists have given to the Virgin 
Mary or to angels, and which may fitly be called heavenly, for 
it involuntarily suggests to our minds the moral and intellectual 
beauty which alone seems consistent with our views of heaven. 
As to the voice, I have never seen one person in the true mes- 
meric sleep who did not speak in a tone quite distinct from the 
ordinary voice of the sleeper. It is invariably, so far as I have 
observed, softer and more gentle, well corresponding to the ele- 
vated and mild expression of the face. It has often a plaintive 
and touching character, especially when the sleeper speaks of 
departed friends or relations. In the highest stages it has a 
character quite new, and in perfect accordance with the pure and 
lovely smile of the countenance, which beams on the observer, in 
spite of the closed eyes, like a ray of heaven's own light and 
beauty. I speak here of that which I have often seen, and I 
would say that, as a general rule, the sleeper, when in his ordi- 
nary state and when in the deep mesmeric sleep, appears not 
like the same, but like two different individuals. And it is not 
wonderful that it should be so. For the sleeper, in the mesmeric 
state, has a consciousness quite separate and distinct from his 
ordinary consciousness ; he is, in fact, if not a different indi- 
vidual, yet the same individual in a different and distinct phase 
of his being, and that phase a higher one." x ,1 

Professor Gregory's experience and observation have been 
those of every hypnotist and mesmerist whose works have 
been examined. There is, indeed, an ineffable and inde- 
scribable something which overspreads the countenance of 
the virtuous woman while she is in the hypnotic state, which 
disarms passion, and affects the beholder with a feeling that 
he has something seen of heaven. He knows that the 
physical senses are asleep, and he feels that the soul is 
shining forth in all its majesty and purity, untainted by any 
thought that is gross, any emotion that is impure. 

One of the assertions most confidently made by those who 
hold that crime is the necessary result of hypnotic experi- 
ment, outside of the medical profession, is that a hypnotic 
subject can be made to commit suicide by suggesting to him 

1 Gregory on Animal Magnetism, p. 4. 



HYPNOTISM AND CRIME. 1 33 

the propriety of so doing. There is, if possible, even less 
foundation for this supposition than there is for any other in 
the whole catalogue. The reason of this will be obvious 
when we take into consideration some of the distinctive 
attributes of the subjective mind. It will not be disputed 
that the attribute of the subjective mind, which is known as 
intuition when applied to man, corresponds exactly with 
what we call instinct when applied to animals. Now, there 
are three primary functions, or, let us say, instincts, of the 
subjective mind, which are common to men and the whole 
animal creation. The first pertains to tne preservation of 
the life of the individual, and is called, in common parlance, 
the instinct of self-preservation. This is admittedly the 
strongest instinct of animal nature. The second, in the 
order of strength and of universality, is the instinct of re- 
production. The third pertains to the preservation of hu- 
man life generally, and of one's offspring particularly. Each 
pertains to the perpetuity of the race. The first and second 
are universal, and the third is practically so ; the only ex- 
ceptions being in rare cases of individual idiosyncrasy, or 
in a very low order of animal life. The potency of these 
instincts is too well known to require comment. 

There is one peculiarity, however, pertaining to subjective 
activity when the life of the individual is in danger, or that 
of offspring is imperilled, that is not so generally appreciated. 
In such cases the subjective mind takes prompt possession 
of the individual, and every act is subjective as long as 
active exertion is required to preserve the imperilled life. 
That this is true is shown, first, by the preternatural strength 
with which the person is endowed under such circumstances ; 
second, by the total absence of fear ; and third, by the won- 
derful presence of mind displayed in the instantaneous adap- 
tation of every means to its proper end, and in doing exactly 
the right thing at the right time. Comment is often made 
on the wonderful " presence of mind " displayed by persons 
in great peril when instantaneous action is required, and 
there is no time for reflection or reasoning out a plan of 
action or defence. This presence of mind, so called, is 



134 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

nothing more or less than subjective activity, or, in other 
words, instinctive action, the objective faculties being in 
almost complete abeyance for the time being. That this is 
true is further shown by the fact that a person in imminent 
and deadly peril will often emerge from the very jaws of 
death with nerves unshaken, the coolest and most collected 
person present. This is often mistaken for courage. It 
has, however, nothing whatever to do with the question of 
personal bravery. The veriest coward will, under circum- 
stances of unavoidable danger, act with the same coolness, 
and evince the same presence of mind, as the bravest man. 
The most timid woman will fight like a demon, and display 
preternatural strength and courage, for the preservation of 
her own life or that of her offspring. The action is in- 
stinctive. In other words, it is the normal function of the 
subjective entity. 

The condition of the person at such times is akin to, if 
not identical with, the state of hypnotism or partial hyp- 
notism. It may be that the objective and subjective facul- 
ties act at such times in perfect synchronism ; but certain 
it is that every evidence of subjective activity is present, 
even the phenomenon of anesthesia. This is shown by the 
fact that at such times the body feels no pain, no matter 
how severe the injury. The universal testimony of soldiers 
who have been in battle is to the effect that the time when 
fear is experienced is just before the action commences. 
When the first gun is fired, all fear vanishes, and the soldier 
often performs feats of the most desperate valor and evinces 
the most reckless courage. If wounded, he feels nothing 
until the battle is over and all excitement is gone. It is a 
merciful provision of nature that the nearer we approach 
death, the less we fear it. This law is universal. It is only 
in the vigor of youth and manhood that death is looked 
upon with horror. The aged view its near approach with 
calm serenity. The convicted murderer, as long as there is 
hope of pardon, reprieve, escape, or commutation of the 
death-penalty, evinces the utmost dread of the scaffold ; 
but when the death-penalty is pronounced, and all hope has 



HYPNOTISM AND CRIME. 



135 



fled, he often evinces the utmost indifference, welcomes the 
day of his execution, and marches to the scaffold without a 
tremor. The newspapers speak with wonder and admira- 
tion of his courage, and the universal verdict is that he was 
a brave man, and " died game." The truth is that the uni- 
versal law of which we speak, that merciful provision of 
nature which nerves alike the brave man and the coward, 
steps in to his defence, his objective senses are benumbed, 
and he submits to the inevitable change without fear and 
without pain. 

The testimony of Dr. Livingstone is to the same effect. 
He was once seized by a lion when hunting in the jungles 
of Africa, and carried some distance, his body between the 
lion's jaws. When death seemed inevitable, he testifies that 
all fear left him, and a delicious languor stole over his 
senses. The grasp of the lion's jaws caused no pain, and 
be felt fully resigned to his fate. A fortunate shot from 
the gun of one of his companions released him, and he was 
rescued. 

This, however, is a digression. The main point which it 
is desired to enforce is, first, that the strongest instinct in 
mankind is that of self-preservation ; and second, that this 
instinct, this strong desire to preserve the life of the body, 
constitutes a subjective, or an instinctive, auto-suggestion of 
such supreme potency that no suggestion from another, noi 
any objective auto-suggestion, could possibly overcome it. 
The inevitable conclusion is that suicide is certainly not a 
crime which can be successfully instigated by means of 
hypnotism. 

Criminal abortion is another of the crimes which, the 
people are told, can be performed by means of hypnotic 
suggestion. The inherent absurdity of this statement is 
almost as great as that suicide can be successfully instigated 
by such means. It is here that another strong instinct pre- 
vails against a suggestion of that character, namely, the 
desire inherent in the soul of the mother to preserve her 
offspring. It is possibly true that conception could be pre- 
vented by hypnotic suggestion, and it may be true that bar- 



136 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. " 

renness is sometimes caused by unconscious auto-suggestion ; 
but a very different state of affairs exists after the fcetus is 
once formed. The instinctive desire to preserve the life 
that exists, constitutes an instinctive auto-suggestion which 
no suggestion from another, nor even the objective auto- 
suggestion of the mother, could prevail against. 

It may be safely set down, therefore, as a fundamental 
truth of hypnotic science that the auto-suggestion most 
difficult to overcome is that which originates in the normal 
action of the subjective mind, — otherwise, instinctive auto- 
suggestion. 

The same line of reasoning applies, though with some- 
what diminished force, to the commission of other crimes. 
We will suppose the most favorable condition possible for 
procuring the commission of a capital crime ; namely, a 
criminal hypnotist in control of a criminal subject. The 
disposition of the subject might not stand in the way; 
there might be no auto-suggestion against the commission 
of crime in the habits and principles of the life of the sub- 
ject; and yet the instinct of self-preservation would have 
its weight and influence in suggesting to him that the com- 
mission of a murder would imperil his own life. Such a 
consideration would operate as potently in the hypnotic 
condition as it would in the normal state. It would be an 
instinctive auto-suggestion, just the same as in the case of 
suicide, although it would operate indirectly in one case, 
and directly in the other. The deductive reasoning of the 
subjective mind, as we have seen in preceding chapters, is 
perfect ; and in the case supposed, the subject would in- 
stantaneously reason from the proposed crime to its con- 
sequences to himself. The same law would operate in 
preventing the commission of crimes of less magnitude, 
with a resistance decreased in proportion to the nature of 
the offence. But it would, in all cases, be a factor of great 
importance in the prevention of crime ; for the subjective 
mind is ever alert where the safety and well-being of the 
individual are concerned. This law is universal, and has 
often been manifested in the most striking manner. Pre- 



HYPNOTISM AND CRIME. 1 37 

monitions of impending danger, so often felt and recorded, 
are manifestations of the constant solicitude of the sub- 
jective entity for the welfare of the individual. It is 
comparatively rare that these subjective impressions are 
brought above the threshold of consciousness ; but this is 
largely due to the habits of thought of mankind at the 
present day. Generally such impressions are disregarded, 
and in this sceptical and materialistic age are often rele- 
gated to the domain of superstition. When they are felt 
and acted upon, they are generally attributed to a super- 
natural source. The daemon of Socrates is a strong case in 
point. He believed himself to have been constantly at- 
tended by a familiar spirit, whose voice he could hear, and 
whose admonitions were always wise. That he did hear 
voices there can, in the light of modern science, be little 
doubt. It is noteworthy, however, that the voice was 
generally one of warning, and that its strongest manifesta- 
tions were made when his personal safety or his personal 
well-being was involved. The explanation, in pursuance 
of the hypothesis under discussion in this book, is not 
difficult. He was endowed with that rare faculty which, 
in one way or another, belongs to all men of true genius, 
and which enabled him to draw from the storehouse of 
subjective knowledge. In his case the threshold of con- 
sciousness was so easily displaced that his subjective mind 
was able at will to communicate with his objective mind 
in words audible to his senses. This phenomenon is 
known to spiritists as elairaudience. As before remarked, 
this voice was generally one of warning, and was the di- 
rect manifestation of that strongest instinct of the human 
soul, — the instinct of self-preservation. 

To this the classical student will doubtless interpose the 
objection that the daemon failed to warn the philosopher 
in the hour of his direst need ; it failed to admonish him 
against that course of conduct which led to inevitable 
death. Socrates was accustomed to construe the silence of 
the daemon as an approval of his conduct ; and when the 
decisive moment arrived when he could have saved him- 



I38 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

self had he chosen to do so, the divine voice was silent. 
Only once did it interpose its warning, and that was to ' 
prevent him from preparing a speech which might have 
saved him from the hemlock. 

The explanation of this failure may be found in the ex- 
perience of all mankind. This instinctive clinging to life 
weakens with advancing years, and appears to cease al- 
together the moment a man's career of usefulness in life 
has ended. This is the experience of every-day life. Men 
grow rich, and in the full vigor of a green old age retire 
from business, hoping to enjoy many years of rest. The 
result is, generally, death in a very short time. An old 
man thrown out of employment, with nothing to hope for 
in the future, lies down and dies. Another, losing his 
aged companion, follows within a few days or weeks. 
Another lives only to see his children married and settled, 
and when that is accomplished, cheerfully lets go his hold 
on life. In fact, it seems to be as much an instinct to 
die, when one's usefulness is ended, as to cling to life as 
long as there is something to do to contribute to the 
general welfare. 

Socrates was an old man. He had lived a long and 
useful life, but his career of usefulness was ended ; for 
the authorities of the State had decided that his teachings 
were impious, and corrupting to youth. Had he lived, 
it would have been at the price of dishonor, his compen- 
sation a miserable old age. Besides, his doctrine that 
death is not an evil, together with his lofty sentiments re- 
garding the duty of the citizen to the commonwealth, — a 
duty which he maintained could be performed in his case 
only by submitting to its decrees and carrying into execu- 
tion its judgments, — constituted a potential element of 
auto-suggestion which must be considered in estimating 
the psychological features of his case. He felt that the 
principles of his whole life would be violated by any at- 
tempt to escape or evade the penalty which had been 
decreed against him ; and he spent his last hours in an 
effort to convince his friends that the death of the body is 



HYPNOTISM AND CRIME. 



139 



not an evil, when life is purchased at the price of dishonor. 
He felt that the philosophy which it had been the business 
of his life to teach, could only be vindicated by his death, 
at the time and in the manner decreed by the State. The 
supreme moment had arrived ; the instinct of death was 
upon him ; and, in philosophical communion with his fol- 
lowers, he calmly drank the hemlock, and died the death 
of a philosopher. 

The value of testimony in criminal cases, obtained by 
means of hypnotism, has been very freely discussed by 
those who have given their attention to the legal aspect of 
the question. Assuming that a person has been hypno- 
tized, and caused to commit a crime, the question natu- 
rally arises, What means are at hand to convict the guilty 
party? How is evidence to be obtained, and what is its 
value when obtained ? As it has been shown to be a prac- 
tical impossibility to procure the commission of crime by 
means of hypnotic suggestion, it will be unnecessary and 
unprofitable to discuss the question at great length, and it 
will be dismissed after the presentation of the vital point. 
It is obvious that when it is demonstrated that evidence 
is unreliable, and necessarily unworthy of credence, it is 
useless to discuss the ways and means of obtaining such 
evidence for use in a court of justice. The intricate maze 
of metaphysical disquisition in which this question has 
been so ably obscured by writers on the subject, will not 
be entered. It is sufficient to know that no testimony ob- 
tained from a subject in a state of hypnotism, relating to 
any vital question which involves the guilt or innocence of 
himself or his friends, is of any value whatever. It is a 
popular belief, handed down through the ages, that a som- 
nambulic subject will always tell the truth, and that all the 
secrets of a sleep-walker can be obtained from him for the 
asking. This belief has also been held regarding the hyp- 
notic subject j and it is upon this assumption that the hy- 
pothetical value of his testimony in criminal jurisprudence 
depends. It is true that, on ordinary questions, the truth 
is always uppermost in the subjective mind. A hypnotic 



I40 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

subject will often say, during the hypnotic sleep, that 
which he would not say in his waking moments. Never- 
theless, he never betrays a vital secret. The reason is 
obvious to those who have followed the line of argument 
in the preceding pages of this chapter. The instinct of 
self-preservation, always alert to avert any danger which 
threatens the individual, steps in to his defence. Instinc- 
tive auto-suggestion here plays its subtle role, and no sug- 
gestion from another can prevail against it. If the defence 
involves falsehood, a falsehood will be told, without the 
slightest hesitation; and it will be told with preternatural 
acumen, and with such plausible circumstantiality of detail 
as to deceive the very elect. Neither will there be any 
variance or shadow of turning after repeated experiments, 
for the memory of the subjective mind is perfect. 

This rule holds good, not only with regard to secrets 
which involve the personal safety of the individual, but in 
all matters pertaining to his material interests, his reputa- 
tion, or the interests of his friends, whose secrets are con- 
fided to his care. That this is true is presumptively proved 
by the fact that in all the years during which the science of 
hypnotism has been practised, no one has ever been known 
to betray the secrets of any society or order. The attempt 
has often been made, but it has never succeeded. The 
truth of this assertion can be demonstrated at any time by 
experiment. 

Such an experiment has a greater evidential value in 
establishing the rule than almost any other laboratory ex- 
periment. A subject might plunge a paper dagger into an 
imaginary man, or he might draw a check, sign a note, a 
contract, or a deed, in obedience to experimental sugges- 
tions, when he would not commit a real crime, or sign 
away his birthright, in obedience to criminal suggestion. 
But when a subject is asked to betray the secrets of a so- 
ciety to which he belongs, it is quite a different matter. In 
the one case a compliance with the suggestion proves noth- 
ing, simply because it is a laboratory experiment. In the 
other case his refusal to comply with the suggestion proves 



HYPNOTISM AND CRIME. I41 

everything, because his betrayal of such a secret in the 
laboratory is just as vital as to betray it elsewhere. 

It is obvious, therefore, that the testimony of a hypno- 
tized subject in a court of justice can possess no evidential 
value whatever. Not one of the conditions would be pres- 
ent which give weight to human testimony. The subject 
* could not be punished for perjury if he swore falsely. In 
matters of indifference to him he would be in constant 
danger of being swayed by the artful or accidental sugges- 
tion of another. A false premise suggested to him at the 
start would color and pervert his whole testimony. A cross- 
examination would utterly confuse him, and almost inevita- 
bly restore him to normal consciousness. On questions of 
vital interest to himself, auto-suggestion would cause him to 
resort to falsehood if the truth would militate against him. 

It is thought that enough has been said to show that the 
dangers attending the practice of hypnotism have been 
grossly exaggerated, and that the sources of danger, which 
the people are so persistently warned against, have no ex- 
istence in fact. The premises laid down will not be gain- 
said by any who understand the law of suggestion. The 
conclusions are inevitable. The law of auto-suggestion has 
been recognized by Continental writers, as has been shown 
by extracts from their books ; but they have failed to carry 
it to its legitimate conclusion when treating the subject of 
the legal aspects of hypnotism. It is perhaps not strange 
that they should fail in this respect, in view of the vital in- 
terest which physicians have in hypnotism as a therapeutic 
agent. But they should remember that the subject is also 
of vital interest to students of psychology, and that it is 
only by a study of its psychological aspects that hypnotism 
can be intelligently applied to the cure of disease. That 
the phenomena displayed through its agency possess a sig- 
nificance which far transcends that which attaches to it as 
a substitute for pills, is a proposition which will not be dis- 
puted, even by those who seek to monopolize its forces. 
It is hoped, therefore, that the psychological student will 
be graciously permitted to pursue his studies at least until 



142 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

it is shown that physicians enjoy such a monopoly of the 
cardinal virtues that it is unsafe to intrust the forces of 
nature in the hands of others. 

In the mean time the world at large will continue to 
believe that the laws of hypnotism are no exception to 
the rule that the forces of nature, when once understood, 
are designed for the highest good of mankind ; and they 
will continue to demand that those forces shall not be 
monopolized by any man, or set of men, body politic, 
or corporation. 

From what has been said, the supreme folly of legislation 
to prohibit experiments in hypnotism is manifest. No one 
will deny that when a hypnotist permits himself to exercise 
his art in private he is in possession of opportunities which, 
under other conditions, might give him an undue advan- 
tage over a subject of the opposite sex ; but, from the very 
nature of things, that advantage is infinitely less than that 
enjoyed by physicians in their habitual intercourse with 
their patients. Until it is shown that physicians never take 
advantage of their confidential relations with their patients ; 
until it is shown that physicians are exempt from human 
passions and frailties ; or, at least, until it is shown that 
physicians are more platonic in their emotions than the 
ordinary run of human beings, — the world will continue 
to regard their demand that the study of experimental 
psychology shall be restricted by legislation to the medical 
profession, as an exhibition of monumental impudence. It 
cannot be forgotten that it was the medical profession that 
drove Mesmer into a dishonored exile and a premature 
grave for the sole reason that he healed the sick without 
the use of pills. The faculty ridiculed, proscribed, and 
ostracized every medical man who dared to conduct an 
honest investigation of mesmeric phenomena. And now 
that the scientists of Europe are compelled to admit the 
therapeutic value of the science, they are instant in demand 
that no one but physicians shall be permitted to make ex- 
periments. It is perhaps natural and right that the treat- 
ment of disease by means of drugs should be restricted to 



HYPNOTISM AND CRIME. 1 43 

those who are educated in the proper use of drugs; but 
the employment of psychic powers and remedies rests upon 
an entirely different footing. Their demand that hypno- 
tism be reserved for their exclusive use rests not upon their 
knowledge of its laws, but is founded upon their wilful 
ignorance of the fundamental principles which underlie 
the science. 



CHAPTER XI. 



PSYCHO-THERAPEUTICS. 



Historical Notes. — Mind Cure in Ancient Times. — Bible Accounts. 

— Miracles of the Church. — Healing by the King's Touch. — 
Views of Paracelsus and Pomponazzi. — Bernheim's Experiments. 

— The Modern Schools. — Their Theories. — The True Hypothe- 
sis applicable to all Systems. — Illustrations of the Theory. — 
Producing a Blister by Suggestion. — Bloody Stigmata. — Letters 
of Blood. — Objective Control of Subjective Mind. — Subjective 
Control of Bodily Functions. — The Necessary Mental Conditions. 

— The Precepts and Example of Christ. — Subjective Faith alone 
required. — Discussion of Various Systems. — Christian Science, 
etc. — General Conclusions. 

IN the whole range of psychological research there is no 
branch of the study of such transcendent practical in- 
terest and importance to the world as that which pertains 
to its application to the cure of disease. That there resides 
in mankind a psychic power over the functions and sensa- 
tions of the body, and that that power can be invoked at 
will, under certain conditions, and applied to the alleviation 
of human suffering, no longer admits of a rational doubt. 
The history of all nations presents an unbroken line of testi- 
mony in support of the truth of this proposition. In the 
infancy of the world the power of secretly influencing men 
for good or evil, including the healing of the sick, was pos- 
sessed by the priests and saints of all nations. Healing of 
the sick was supposed to be a power derived directly from 
God, and it was exerted by means of prayers and cere- 
monies, laying on of hands and incantations, amulets and 
talismans, rings, relics, and images, and the knowledge of 
it was transmitted with the sacred mysteries. 



PSYCHO-THERAPEUTICS. 145 

Numerous examples of the practice of healing by the 
touch and by the laying on of hands are related in the Old 
Testament. Moses was directed by the Lord to transmit 
his power and honor to Joshua by the laying on of hands. 
— Elijah healed the dead child by stretching himself upon the 
body and calling upon the name of the Lord, and Elisha 
raised the dead son of the Shunammite woman by the same 
means. It was even supposed that the power survived his 
death. The New Testament is full of examples of the most 
striking character, and the promise of the Master to those 
who believe, — " In my name shall they cast out devils ; 
they shall speak with new tongues ; they shall take up ser- 
pents ; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt 
them ; they shall lay their .hands on the sick, and they shall 
recover," — applies to all mankind to-day as well as to his 
followers upon whom he had conferred his power in person. 
That this power was transmitted to future generations, and 
that the saints and others regarded it as the heritage of the 
Church and employed it with humble faith, in imitation of 
the Master, for the good of mankind, is shown by numerous 
examples. While the chroniclers have undoubtedly embel- 
lished many actual cures and recited many fictitious ones, 
the fact that the saints and others possessed healing powers 
cannot be questioned. Thus, Saint Patrick, the Irish apos- 
tle, healed the blind by laying on his hands. 

" Saint Bernard," says Ennemoser, " is said to have restored 
eleven blind persons to sight, and eighteen lame persons to the 
use of their limbs in one day at Constance. At Cologne he 
healed twelve lame, caused three dumb persons to speak, ten 
who were deaf to hear, and, when he himself was ill, Saint 
Lawrence and Saint Benedict appeared to him, and cured him 
by touching the affected part. Even his plates and dishes are 
said to have cured sickness after his death ! The miracles of 
Saints Margaret, Katherine, Hildegarde, and especially, the 
miraculous cures of the two holy martyrs, Cosmos and D ami- 
anus, belong to this class. Among others, they freed the Em- 
peror Justinian from an incurable sickness. Saint Odilia 
embraced in her arms a leper who was shunned by all men, 
warmed him, and restored him to health. 

10 



146 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

" Remarkable above all others are those cases where persons 
who were at the point of death have recovered by holy baptism 
or extreme unction. The Emperor Constantine is one of the 
most singular examples. Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, had the power 
of assuaging colic and affections of the spleen by laying the 
patients on their backs and passing his great toe over them. 
The Emperor Vespasian cured nervous affections, lameness, 
and blindness, solely by the laying on of his hands. According 
to Ccelius Spartianus, Hadrian cured those afflicted with dropsy 
by touching them with the points of his fingers, and recovered 
himself from a violent fever by similar treatment. King Olaf 
healed Egill on the spot by merely laying his hands upon him 
and singing proverbs. The kings of England and France cured 
diseases of the throat by touch. It is said that the pious Ed- 
ward the Confessor, and, in France, that Philip the First were 
the first who possessed this power. In England the disease 
was therefore called ' king's evil.' In France this power was 
retained till within a recent period. Among German princes 
this curative power was ascribed to the Counts of Hapsburg, 
and also that they were able to cure stammering by a kiss. 
Pliny says, ' There are men whose whole bodies possess medi- 
cinal properties, — as the Marsi, the Psyli, and others, who 
cure the bite of serpents merely by the touch.' This he re- 
marks especially of the island of Cyprus, and later travellers 
confirm these cures by the touch. In later times the Salma- 
dores and Ensalmadores of Spain became very celebrated, who 
healed almost all diseases by prayer, laying on of the hands, 
and by the breath. In Ireland, Valentine Greatrakes cured at 
first king's evil by his hands ; later, fever, wounds, tumors, 
gout, and at length all diseases. In the seventeenth century the 
gardener Levret and the notorious Streeper performed cures in 
London by stroking with the hand. In a similar manner cures 
were performed by Michael Medina and the Child of Sala- 
manca ; also Marcellus Empiricus. Richter, an innkeeper at 
Royen, in Silicia, cured, in the years 1817, 1818, many thousands 
of sick persons in the open fields by touching them with his 
hands. Under the popes, laying on of the hands was called 
1 chirothesy.' " 

Again, Ennemoser says : — 

"As regards the resemblance which the science bears to 
magnetism, it is certain that not only were the ancients ac- 
quainted with an artificial method of treating disease, but also 
with somnambulism itself. Among others, Agrippa von Net' 



PS YCHO- THERA PE UTICS. 



H7 



tesheim speaks of this plainly when he says, in his * Occulta 
Philosophia ' (page 451) : ' There is a science, known to but very 
few, of illuminating and instructing the mind, so that at one 
step it is raised from the darkness of ignorance to the light of 
wisdom. This is produced principally by a species of artificial 
sleep, in which a man forgets the present, and, as it were, per- 
ceives the future through divine inspiration. Unbelieving and 
wicked persons can also be deprived of this power by secret 
means." 

Coming down to more recent times, we find that cures, 
seemingly miraculous, are as common to-day as at any 
period of the world's history. In fact, one unbroken line 
of such phenomena is presented to the student of psycho- 
therapeutics, which extends from the earliest period of re- 
corded history to the present time. At no time in the 
world's history has there been such a widespread interest in 
the subject as now; and the hopeful feature is that the 
subject is no longer relegated to the domain of supersti- 
tion, but is being studied by all classes of people, from 
the ablest scientists down to the humblest peasant. The 
result is that theories almost innumerable have been ad- 
vanced to account for what all admit to be a fact, namely, 
that there exists a power to alleviate human suffering, which-- 
lies not within the domain of material science, but which 
can be invoked at the will of man and controlled by human 
intelligence. 

It would be tedious and unprofitable to discuss at length 
the numerous theories advanced by the different sects and 
schools which have an existence to-day. It is sufficient to 
know that all these schools effect cures of the most wonder- 
ful character, many of them taking rank with the miracles 
of the Master. This one fact stands out prominent and 
significant, namely, that the theories advanced to account 
for the phenomena seem to have no effect upon the power 
invoked. 

Paracelsus stated what is now an obvious scientific fact 
when he uttered these words : — 

" Whether the object of your faith be real or false, you will 
nevertheless obtain the same effects. Thus, if I believe in 



I48 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

Saint Peter's statue as I should have believed in Saint Peter 
himself, I shall obtain the same effects that I should have ob- 
tained from Saint Peter. But that is superstition. Faith, how- 
ever, produces miracles ; and whether it is a true or a false 
faith, it will always produce the same wonders." 

Much to the same effect are the words uttered in the six- 
teenth century by Pomponazzi : — 

" We can easily conceive the marvellous effects which confi- 
dence and imagination can produce, particularly when both 
qualities are reciprocated between the subjects and the person 
who influences them. The cures attributed to the influence of 
certain relics are the effect of this imagination and confidence. 
Quacks and philosophers know that if the bones of any skeleton 
were put in place of the saint's bones, the sick would none the 
less experience beneficial effects, if they believed that they were 
near veritable relics." 

Bernheim, 1 quoting the foregoing passages, follows with a 
story, related by Sobernheim, of a man with a paralysis of the 
tongue which had yielded to no form of treatment, who put 
himself under a certain doctor's care. The doctor wished 
to try an instrument of his own invention, with which he 
promised himself to get excellent results. Before perform- 
ing the operation, he introduced a pocket thermometer 
into the patient's mouth. The patient imagined it to be 
the instrument which was to save him. In a few minutes 
he cried out joyfully that he could once more move his 
tongue freely. 

"Among our cases," continues Bernheim, " facts of the same 
sort will be found. A young girl came into my service, having 
suffered from complete nervous aphonia for nearly four weeks. 
After making sure of the diagnosis, I told my students that 
nervous aphonia sometimes yielded instantly to electricity, which 
might act simply by its suggestive influence. I sent for the in- 
duction apparatus. Before using it I wanted to try simple sug- 
gestion by affirmation. I applied my hand over the larynx and 
moved it a little, and said, ' Now you can speak aloud.' In an 

1 Suggestive Therapeutics, p. 197. 



PSYCHO-THERAPEUTICS. 1 49 

instant I made her say 'a,' then 'b,' then 'Maria.' She con- 
tinued to speak distinctly ; the aphonia had disappeared. 

" ' The " Bibliotheque choisie de Medicine," ' says Hack Tuke, 
' gives a typical example of the influence exercised by the imag- 
ination over intestinal action during sleep. The daughter of 
the consul at Hanover, aged eighteen, intended to use rhubarb, 
for which she had a particular dislike, on a following day. She 
dreamed that she had taken the abhorred dose. Influenced by 
this imaginary rhubarb, she waked up, and had five or six easy 
evacuations.' 

" The same result is seen in a case reported by Demangeon. 1 
* A monk intended to purge himself on a certain morning. On 
the night previous he dreamed that he had taken the medicine, 
and consequently waked up to yield to nature's demands. He 
had eight movements.' 

" But among all the moral causes which, appealing to the 
imagination, set the cerebral mechanism of possible causes at 
work, none is so efficacious as religious faith. Numbers of au- 
thentic cures have certainly been due to it. 

" The Princess of Schwartzenburg had suffered for eight 
years from a paraplegia for which the most celebrated doctors 
in Germany and France had been consulted. In 1821 the Prince 
of Hohenlohe, who had been a priest since 18 15, brought a 
peasant to the> princess, who had convinced the young prince of 
the power of prayer in curing disease. The mechanical appa- 
ratus, which had been used by Dr. Heine for several months 
to overcome the contracture of the limbs, was removed. The 
prince asked the paralytic to join her faith both to his and the 
peasant's. ' Do you believe you are already helped ? ' ' Oh, 
yes, I believe so most sincerely ! ' ' Well, rise and walk.' At 
these words the princess rose and walked around the room sev- 
eral times, and tried going up and down stairs. The next day 
she went to church, and from this time on she had the use of 
her limbs." 2 

Bernheim then proceeds to give a resume of some of the 
histories of cures which took place at Lourdes, where thou- 
sands flock annually to partake of the healing waters of the 
famous grotto. The history of that wonderful place is too 
well known to need repetition here. It is sufficient to say 
that thousands of cures have been effected there through 

1 De lTmagination, 1879. 2 Charpignon. 



150 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

prayer and religious faith, and the cures are as well authen- 
ticated as any fact in history or science. 

The most prominent and important methods of healing 
the sick now in vogue maybe briefly summarized as follows : 
h i. Prayer and religious faith, as exemplified in the cures 
performed at Lourdes and at other holy shrines. To this 
class also belong the cures effected by prayer alone, the sys- 
tem being properly known in this country as the Faith Cure 
and the Prayer Cure. 

2. The Mind Cure, — "a professed method of healing 
which rests upon the suppositions that all diseased states 01 
the body are due to abnormal conditions of the mind, and 
that the latter (and thus the former) can be cured by the 
direct action of the mind of the healer upon the mind ot 
the patient." 1 

3. Christian Science. — This method of healing rests upon 
the assumption of the unreality of matter. This assumed 
as a major premise, it follows that our bodies are unreal, 
and, consequently, there is no such thing as disease, the 
latter existing only in the mind, which is the only real 
thing in existence. 

4. Spiritism, which is a system of healing based on the 
supposed interposition of spirits of the dead, operating di- 
rectly, or indirectly through a medium, upon the patient. 

5. Mesmerism. — This includes all the systems of healing 
founded on the supposition that there exists in man a fluid 
which can be projected upon another, at the will of the 
operator, with the effect of healing disease by the thera- 
peutic action of the fluid upon the diseased organism. 

6. Suggestive Hypnotism. — This method of healing rests 
upon the law that persons in the hypnotic condition are 
constantly controllable by the power of suggestion, and that 
by this means pain is suppressed, function modified, fever 
calmed, secretion and excretion encouraged, etc., and thus 
nature, the healer, is permitted to do the work of restoration. 

Each of these schools is subdivided into sects, entertain- 
ing modified theories of causation, and employing modified 

1 Century Dictionary. 



PS YCHO- THERAPE UTICS. 1 5 1 

processes of applying the force at their command. There 
is but one thing common to them all, and that is that they 
all cure diseases. 

We have, then, six different systems of psycho-therapeu- 
tics, based upon as many different theories, differing as 
widely as the poles, and each presenting indubitable evi- 
dence of being able to perform cures which in any age but 
the present would have been called miraculous. 

The most obvious conclusion which strikes the scientific 
mind is that there must be some underlying principle which 
is common to them all. It is the task of science to dis- 
cover that principle. 

It will now be in order to recall to the mind of the 
reader, once more, the fundamental propositions of the 
hypothesis under consideration. They are, — 

First, that man is possessed of two minds, which we have 
distinguished by designating one as the objective mind, and 
the other as the subjective mind. 

Secondly, that the subjective mind is constantly amenable 
to control by the power of suggestion. 

These propositions having been established, at least pro- 
visionally, by the facts shown in the foregoing chapters, it 
now remains to present a subsidiary proposition, which per- 
tains to the subject of psycho-therapeutics, namely : — 

The subjective mind has absolute control of the functions, 
conditions, and sensations of the body. 

This proposition seems almost self-evident, and will re- 
ceive the instant assent of all who are familiar with the 
simplest phenomena of hypnotism. It is well known, and 
no one at all acquainted with hypnotic phenomena now 
disputes the fact, that perfect anesthesia can be produced 
at the will of the operator simply by suggestion. Hundreds 
of cases are recorded where the most severe surgical opera- 
tions have been performed without pain upon patients in 
the hypnotic condition. The fact can be verified at any 
time by experiment on almost any hypnotic subject, and in 
case of particularly sensitive subjects the phenomena can 
be produced in the waking condition. How the subjective 



152 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

mind controls the functions and sensations of the body, 
mortal man may never know. It is certain that the prob- 
lem cannot be solved by reference to physiology or cere- 
bral anatomy. It is simply a scientific fact which we must 
accept because it is susceptible of demonstration, and not 
because its ultimate cause can be explained. 

The three foregoing fundamental propositions cover the 
whole domain of psycho-therapeutics, and constitute the 
basis of explanation of all phenomena pertaining thereto. 

It seems almost superfluous to adduce facts to illustrate 
the wonderful power which the subjective mind possesses 
over the functions of the body, beyond reminding the reader 
of the well-known facts above mentioned regarding the 
production of the phenomena of anesthesia by suggestion. 
Nevertheless, it must not be forgotten that the production 
of anesthesia in a healthy subject is a demonstration of sub- 
jective power which implies far more than appears upon the 
surface. The normal condition of the body is that of per- 
fect health, with all the senses performing their legitimate 
functions. The production of anesthesia in a normal organ- 
ism is, therefore, the production of an abnormal condition. 
On the other hand, the production of anesthesia in a dis- 
eased organism implies the restoration of the normal condi- 
tion, that is, a condition of freedom from pain. In this, 
all the forces of nature unite to assist. And as every force 
in nature follows the lines of least resistance, it follows that 
it is much easier to cure diseases by mental processes than 
it is to create them ; provided always that we understand 
the modus operandi. 

It is well known that the symptoms of almost any disease 
can be induced in hypnotic subjects by suggestion. Thus, 
partial or total paralysis can be produced ; fever can be 
brought on, with all the attendant symptoms, such as rapid 
pulse and high temperature, flushed face, etc. ; or chills, 
accompanied by a temperature abnormally low; or the 
most severe pains can be produced in any part of the body 
or limbs. All these facts are well known, and still more 
wonderful facts are stated in all the recent scientific works 



PS YCHO- THE RAPE UTICS. 



153 



on hypnotism. For instance, Bernheim states that he has 
been able to produce a blister on the back of a patient by 
applying a postage-stamp and suggesting to the patient 
that it was a fly-plaster. This is confirmed by the experi- 
ments of Moll and many others, leaving no doubt of the 
fact that structural changes are a possible result of oral 
suggestion. On this subject Bernheim makes the following 
observations : — 

•' Finally, hemorrhages and bloody stigmata may be induced 
in certain subjects by means of suggestion. 

" MM. Bourru and Burot of Rochefort have experimented on 
this subject with a young marine, a case of hystero-epilepsy. 
M. Bourru put him into the somnambulistic condition, and gave 
him the following suggestion : ' At four o'clock this afternoon, 
after the hypnosis, you will come into my office, sit down in the 
arm-chair, cross your arms upon your breast, and your nose will 
begin to bleed.' At the hour appointed the young man did as 
directed. Several drops of blood came from the left nostril. 

" On another occasion the same investigator traced the pa- 
tient's name on both his forearms with the dull point of an 
instrument. Then, when the patient was in the somnambulistic 
condition, he said, ' At four o'clock this afternoon you will go to 
sleep, and your arms will bleed along the lines which I have 
traced, and your name will appear written on your arms in letters 
of blood.' He was watched at four o'clock and seen to fall 
asleep. On the left arm the letters stood out in bright red relief, 
and in several places there were drops of blood. The letters 
were still visible three months afterwards, although they had 
grown gradually faint. 

" Dr. Mabille, director of the Insane Asylum at Lafond, near 
Rochelle, a former pupil of excellent standing, repeated the 
experiment made upon the subject at Rochefort, after he was 
removed to the asylum, and confirmed it. He obtained instant 
hemorrhage over a determined region of the body. He also 
induced an attack of spontaneous somnambulism, in which the 
patient, doubting his personality, so to speak, suggested to him- 
self the hemorrhagic stigmata on the arm, thus repeating the 
marvellous phenomena of the famous stigmatized auto-sugges- 
tionist, Louis Lateau. 

" These facts, then, seem to prove that suggestion may act 
upon the cardiac function and upon the vaso-motor system. 
Phenomena of this order, however, rarely occur. They are 



154 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

exceptional, and are obtained in certain subjects only. I have in 
vain tried to reproduce them in many cases. These facts are 
sufficient to prove, however, that when in a condition of special 
psychical concentration, the brain can influence even the organic 
functions, which in the normal state seem but slightly amenable 
to the will." 1 

These facts demonstrate at once the correctness of two 
of the fundamental propositions before stated ; namely, the 
constant amenability of the subjective mind to the power of 
suggestion, and the perfect control which the subjective 
mind exercises over the functions, sensations, and condi- 
tions of the body. All the foregoing phenomena represent 
abnormal conditions induced by suggestion, and are, as 
before stated, all the more conclusive proofs of the potency 
of the force invoked. 

If, therefore, there exists in man a power which, in 
obedience to the suggestion of another, is capable of pro- 
ducing abnormal conditions in defiance of the natural 
instincts and desires of all animal creation, how much more 
potent must be a suggestion which operates in harmony 
with the natural instinctive desire of the patient for the res- 
toration of normal conditions, and with the constant effort 
of nature to bring about that result ! At the risk of repe- 
tition, the self-evident proposition will be restated, that the 
instinct of self-preservation is the strongest instinct of our 
nature, and constitutes a most potent, ever-present, and 
constantly operative auto-suggestion, inherent in our very 
nature. It is obvious that any outside suggestion must 
operate with all the greater potentiality when it is directed 
on lines in harmony with instinctive auto-suggestion. It 
follows that normal conditions can be restored with greater 
ease and certainty, other things being equal, than abnormal 
conditions can be induced. And thus it is that by the 
practice of each of the various systems of psycho-therapeu- 
tics we find that the most marvellous cures are effected, and 
are again reminded of the words of Paracelsus : " Whether 

1 Suggestive Therapeutics, pp. 36, 37. 



PS YCHO- THE RAPE UTICS. 1 5 5 

the object of your faith be real or false, you will never- 
theless obtain the same effects." 

This brings us to the discussion of the essential mental 
condition prerequisite to the success of every experiment 
in psycho-therapeutics, — faith. 

That faith is the essential prerequisite to the successful 
exercise of psychic power is a proposition which has re- 
ceived the sanction of the concurrent experience of all the 
ages. Christ himself did not hesitate to acknowledge his 
inability to heal the sick in the absence of that condition 
precedent, which he held to be essential, not only to the 
enjoyment of the blessings which he so freely bestowed 
in this world, but to the attainment of eternal life. " Oh, 
ye of little faith," was his reproof to his followers when 
they returned to him and announced the decrease of their 
powers to heal the sick; thus proving that he regarded 
faith as an essential element of success, not only in the 
patient, but in the healer also. 

If the Great Healer thus acknowledged a limitation of his 
powers, how can we, his humble followers, hope to transcend 
the immutable law by which he was governed? 

" Why is it that our belief has anything to do with the 
exercise of the healing power?" is a question often asked. 
To this the obvious and only reply is that the healing 
power, being a mental, or psychic, force, is necessarily gov- 
erned by mental conditions. Just why faith is the neces- 
sary mental attitude of the patient can never be answered 
until we are able to fathom the ultimate cause of all things. 
The experience of all the ages shows it to be a fact, and 
we must accept it as such, and content ourselves with an 
effort to ascertain its relations to other facts, and, if pos- 
sible, to define its limitations and ascertain the means of 
commanding it at will. 

It is safe to say that the statement of the fact under con- 
sideration has done more to retard the progress of the sci- 
ence of psychic healing than all other things combined. 
The sceptic at once concludes that, whatever good the sys- 
tem may do to credulous people, it can never be of benefit 



156 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

to him, because he "does not believe in such things." 
And it is just here that the mistake is made, — a mistake 
that is most natural in the present state of psychic knowl- 
edge, and one that is all but universal. It consists in the 
assumption that the faith of the objective mind has any- 
thing to do with the requisite mental attitude. The reader 
is again requested to call to mind the fundamental proposi- 
tions of the hypothesis under discussion, namely, the dual 
personality and the power of suggestion. 

It follows from the propositions of our hypothesis, which 
need not be here repeated at length, that the subjective 
mind of an individual is as amenable to control by the sug- 
gestions of his own objective mind as it is by the sugges- 
tions of another. The law is the same. It follows that, 
whatever may be the objective belief of the patient, if he wili 
assume to have faith, actively or passively, the subjective 
mind will be controlled by the suggestion, and the desired 
result will follow. 

The faith required for therapeutic purposes is a purely 
subjective faith , and is attainable upon the cessation of active 
opposition on the part of the objective mind. And this is 
why it is that, under all systems of mental therapeutics, the 
perfect passivity of the patient is insisted upon as the first 
essential condition. Of course, it is desirable to secure 
the concurrent faith both of the objective and subjective 
minds ; but it is not essential, if the patient will in good 
faith make the necessary auto-suggestion, as above men- 
tioned, either in words, or by submitting passively to the 
suggestions of the healer. 

It is foreign to the purpose of this book to discuss at 
length the various systems of mental therapeutics further 
than is necessary for the elucidation of our hypothesis. 
The theories upon which the several systems are founded 
will not, therefore, be commented upon, pro or con, except 
where they furnish striking illustrations of the principles 
herein advanced. 

Christian science, so called, furnishes a very striking 
example of the principle involved in the proposition that 



PSYCHO- THERAPE UTICS. 1 5 J 

the requisite subjective faith may be acquired without the 
concurrence of objective belief, and even in defiance of ob- 
jective reason. That system is based upon the assumption 
that matter has no real existence ; consequently we have no 
bodies, and hence no disease of the body is possible. It is 
not known whether the worthy lady founder of the school 
ever stopped to reduce her foundation principles to the 
form of a syllogism. It is presumed not, for otherwise their 
intense, monumental, and aggressive absurdity would have 
become as apparent to her as it is to others. Let us see 
how they look in the form of a syllogism : — 

Matter has no existence. Our bodies are composed of 
matter. Therefore our bodies have no existence. 

It follows, of course, that disease cannot exist in a non- 
existent body. 

That the above embraces the basis of the system called 
Christian science no one who has read the works of its 
founder will deny. Of course, no serious argument can be 
adduced against such a self-evident absurdity. Neverthe- 
less, there are two facts connected with this system which 
stand out in bold relief : One is that it numbers its followers 
by the hundred thousand ; and the other is that the cures 
effected by its practitioners are of daily occurrence and of 
the most marvellous character. 

The first of these facts demonstrates the truth of the trite 
saying that any system of belief, if earnestly advocated, will 
find plenty of followers. The second shows in the most 
conclusive manner that the , faith of the objective mind 
is not a necessary factor in the cure of disease by psychic 
processes. 

It seems obvious that no greater demand could be 
made upon the resources of our credulity than to tell us 
that all that is visible or tangible to our objective senses 
has no real existence. And yet that is what the patient 
of Christian science is invited to believe as a condition 
precedent to his recovery. Of course he feels at first that 
his intelligence is insulted, and he protests against such a 
palpable absurdity. But he is quieted by soothing words, 



158 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

and is told to get himself into a perfectly passive con- 
dition, to say nothing and to think of nothing for the time 
being. In some cases patients are advised to hold them- 
selves in the mental attitude of denying the possible exist- 
ence of disease. The essential condition of passivity being 
acquired by the patient, the healer also becomes passive, 
and assumes the mental attitude of denying the existence 
of disease in the patient, — or elsewhere, for that matter, — 
and affirms with constant iteration the condition of perfect 
healthfulness. After a seance of this kind, lasting perhaps 
half-an-hour, the patient almost inevitably finds immense 
relief, and often feels himself completely restored to health. 
To say that the patient is surprised, is but feebly to convey 
his impressions ; he is confounded. The healer trium- 
phantly asks, " What do you think of my theory now? " It 
is of little use for him to reply that he does not see that the 
theory is necessarily correct because he was healed. Most 
likely he fails to think of that, in his gratitude for restored 
health. But if he does, he is met by the triumphant re- 
sponse, " By their fruits ye shall know them." To the 
average mind, untrained to habits of logical reasoning, that 
settles the question ; and Christian science has scored a 
triumph and secured a follower. He may not be able to 
see quite clearly the logical sequences involved, he may be 
even doubtful whether the theory is necessarily correct ; 
but not being able to formulate his objections, he contents 
himself with the thought that he is not yet far enough ad- 
vanced in " science " to understand that which seems so 
clear to the mind of his teacher. In any event, he ceases 
to antagonize the theory by any process of reasoning, and 
eventually believes, objectively as well as subjectively, in 
the substantial correctness of the fundamental theory. In 
the mean time it is easy to see that his subjective faith has 
been made perfect by his passivity under treatment, and 
that his objective faith has been confirmed by his restora- 
tion to health. 

In all systems of healing, the processes, or rather the con- 
ditions, are essentially the same, the first essential condition, 



PS YCHO- THERAPE UTICS, 



159 



as before stated, being the perfect passivity and receptivity 
of the patient. That is always insisted upon, and it is the 
essential prerequisite, be the theory and method of opera- 
tion what they may. The rest is accomplished by sugges- 
tion. Thus, the whole science of mental healing may be 
expressed in two words, — passivity, and suggestion. 

By passivity the patient becomes receptive of subjective 
impressions. He becomes partially hypnotic, and some- 
times wholly so. The more perfectly he is hypnotized, the 
surer the favorable result. But, in any case, perfect passivity 
is sure to bring about a good result. In the Christian sci- 
ence methods the healer -also becomes passive, and partially 
self-hypnotized. And this constitutes the difference be- 
tween individual healers by that method. The more easily 
the healer can hypnotize himself, and the more perfect that 
condition, the more powerful will be the effect on the pa- 
tient. The reason is this : the suggestions to the subjective 
mind of the patient are conveyed telepathically from the 
subjective mind of the healer. In order to produce that 
effect in perfection, it becomes necessary both for patient 
and healer to be in a partially hypnotic condition. The 
two subjective minds are then en rapport. The subjective 
mind of the healer, being properly instructed beforehand, 
then conveys the necessary suggestions to the subjective 
mind of the patient. The latter, being necessarily con- 
trolled by such suggestion, exercises its functions in ac- 
cordance therewith ; and having absolute control of the 
sensations., functions, and conditions of the body, it exer- 
cises that control ; and the result is that pain is relieved, 
and the normal condition of health is restored. 

It is not, however, always necessary that either the pa- 
tient or the healer should become even partially hypnotized, 
provided the requisite faith or confidence is established in 
the subjective mind of the patient. In such a case, how- 
ever, it requires a concurrence both of objective and sub- 
jective faith to produce the best results. 

It has been claimed by some mental healers that faith on 
the part of the patient is not an essential prerequisite to 



l6o THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

successful healing. Doubtless some of the more ignorant 
ones believe that statement. But an observation of the 
methods of treatment employed by some who make this 
claim leads one to suppose that the statement often made 
to their patients that faith is unnecessary is rather a cunning 
evasion of the truth for the very purpose of inspiring faith. 
Thus, a patient enters the sanctum of a mental healer, and 
begins by saying, " I understand that it is necessary that 
your patients have faith before they can be healed. If that 
is the case, I never can be healed by mental treatment, for 
I am utterly sceptical on the subject." To which the ready 
reply is, " Faith is unnecessary under my system. I do not 
care what you believe, for I can heal you, however sceptical 
you may be." This is generally satisfactory to the sceptic. 
He brightens with hope, and submits to the treatment, full 
of the faith that he is to be healed without faith. It is 
superfluous to add that by this stroke of policy the healer 
has inspired the patient with all the faith required, namely, 
the faith of his subjective mind. I will not animadvert 
upon the propriety of this course, though I cannot help but 
contrast it with that of the Great Healer, who never de- 
scended to falsehood, even to the end that good might come. 
He always told his followers frankly that faith was essential ; 
and his words are as true to-day as they were when he pro- 
claimed to mankind that great secret of occult power. Jesus 
was the first to proclaim the great law of faith ; and when 
he uttered that one word, he epitomized the whole science 
of psycho-therapeutics. 




CHAPTER XII. 

psycho-therapeutics (continued) . 

Methods classified in Two Divisions. — Mental and Oral Suggestions. 

— Absent Treatment. • — Christian Scientists handicapped by Ab- 
surd Theories. — They claim too much. — The Use of Drugs. — ■■ 
Dangers arising from too Radical Change. — Importance of Favor- 
able Mental Environment. — Mental Healing requires Mental 
Conditions. — Treatment by Hypnotism. — Bernheim's Methods. — 
Illustrative Cases. — The Practical Value of the System. — The 
Illogical Limitations of the Theory. — Potency of Telepathic Sug- 
gestion. — Researches of the Society for Psychical Research'. — Mr. 
Gurney's Experiments. — They demonstrate the Theory of Effluent 
Emanations. — Diagnosis by Intuition. — Potency of Mesmerism. 

— Permanency of Cures. — Conditions necessary. — The Example 
of Jesus. — Self-healing by Auto-suggestion. 

'"THE science of mental therapeutics may be classed in 
* two general divisions, which are distinguished by the 
different methods of operation. The same general prin- 
ciple underlies both, but the results are attained by different 
modes of procedure. 

The first method is by passivity on the part of the patient, 
and mental suggestion by the healer. 

The second is by passivity on the part of the patient, and 
oral suggestion by the healer. 

In ordinary practice both methods are used ; that is to 
say, the oral suggestionist often unconsciously telepaths a 
mental suggestion to the subjective mind of the patient. 
If he thoroughly believes the truth of his own suggestions, 
the telepathic effect is sure to follow, and always to the 
manifest advantage of the patient. This is why it is that in 
all works on hypnotism and mesmerism the value and im- 

ii 



1 62 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

portance of self-confidence on the part of the healer, or, in 
other words, belief in his own suggestions, is so strenuously 
insisted upon. Practice and experience have demonstrated 
the fact, but no writer on the subject attempts to give a 
scientific explanation of it. But when it is known that tele- 
pathy is the normal method of communication between 
subjective minds, and that in healing by mental processes it 
is constantly employed, consciously or unconsciously to the 
persons, the explanation is obvious. 

Again, where mental suggestion is chiefly relied upon, 
the healer usually begins operations by making oral sugges- 
tions. Thus, the Christian scientist begins by carefully 
educating his patient in the fundamental doctrines of the 
school, and explaining the effects which are expected to 
follow the treatment. The mind is thus prepared by oral 
suggestions to receive the necessary mental impressions 
when the treatment proper begins. The most effective 
method of healing employed by that school consists in what 
it denominates " absent treatment." This is effected by 
purely telepathic means. The patient is absent, and often 
knows nothing, objectively, of what is being done for him. 
The healer sits alone and becomes passive ; or, in other 
words, becomes partially self-hypnotized, and addresses the 
patient mentally, and proceeds to argue the question with 
him. The condition of health is strongly asserted and in- 
sisted upon, and the possibility of disease as strenuously 
denied. The advantages of this means of treatment are 
obvious. The telepathic suggestions are made solely to the 
subjective mind of the patient, and do not rise above 
the threshold of his consciousness. The subjective mind, 
being constantly amenable to control by the power of 
suggestion, accepts the suggestions offered, and, having in 
its turn perfect control of the functions and conditions of 
the body, it proceeds to re-establish the condition of health. 
In other words, it abandons the abnormal idea of disease ; 
and, in obedience to the telepathic suggestions of the 
healer, it seizes upon the normal idea of health. It will 
readily be seen that by this method of treatment the patient 



PSYCHO-THERAPEUTICS. 1 63 

is placed in the best possible condition for the reception 
of healthful suggestions. He is necessarily in a passive 
condition. That is, being unconscious, objectively, of the 
mental suggestions which are being made to his subjective 
mind, he is not handicapped by antagonistic auto-sugges- 
tions arising from objective doubt of the power of the 
healer, or of the correctness of his theories. The latter is 
the most serious obstacle which the Christian scientist has 
to contend with ; and it is safe to say that if his school 
had not been handicapped by a theory which shocks the 
common-sense of the average man, its sphere of usefulness 
would have been much larger than it is now. The school 
is doing a great and noble work as it is, but it is chiefly 
among those who are credulous enough to disbelieve the 
evidence of their own senses. There is, however, a large 
and growing class of people, calling themselves Christian 
scientists, who ignore the fundamental absurdities of the 
theory of the founder of the sect, and content themselves 
with the knowledge that the practice produces good results. 
Each one of these formulates a theory of his own, and each 
one finds that, measured by the standard of results, his 
theory is correct. The obvious conclusion is that one 
theory is as good as another, provided always that the 
mode of operation under it does not depart, in any essen- 
tial particular, from the standard, and that the operator has 
the requisite faith in his own theory and practice. 

Another circumstance which handicaps the enthusiastic 
votaries of each of the schools consists in the tendency of 
all reformers to claim too much for their systems. Forget- 
ting that they have to deal with a generation of people 
with a hereditary belief in the power of medicines to cure 
disease, a people whose habits of life and thought are mate- 
rialistic to the last degree, they expect to change that belief 
instantaneously, and cause the new method to take the 
place of the old in all cases and under all circumstances. 
In other words, they expect to cure all diseases by mental 
methods alone, and they seek to prohibit their patients 
from employing any other physician or using any medicines 



1 64 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

whatever. This is wrong in theory and often dangerous in 
practice. It may be true, and doubtless is, that one great 
source of the power of drugs to heal disease is attributable 
to the mental impression created upon the mind of the 
patient at the time the drug is administered. This being 
true, it follows that when a patient believes in drugs, drugs 
should be administered. If Christian science or any other 
mental method of healing can then be made available as 
an auxiliary, it should be employed. But this is just what 
the ultra-reformers refuse to do. They insist upon the 
discharge of the family physician, and the destruction of 
all the medicines in the house, before they will undertake 
to effect a cure by mental processes. It frequently happens 
that the patient is not sufficiently well grounded in the new 
faith, or is afflicted with some disease not readily reached 
by mental processes, and dies on their hands, when per- 
haps he might have been saved by the combined efforts of 
the family doctor and the Christian scientist. Be that as it 
may, when the patient dies under such circumstances, the 
Christian scientist must needs bear the brunt of popular 
condemnation. It goes without saying that one such case 
does more to retard the progress of mental therapeutics in 
popular estimation than a thousand miraculous cures can do 
to promote it. Again, much harm is done to the cause of 
mental healing by claiming for it too wide a field of useful- 
ness. Theoretically, all the diseases which flesh is heir to 
are curable by mental processes. Practically, the range of 
its usefulness is comparatively limited. The lines of its 
field are not clearly defined, however, for the reason that so 
much depends on the idiosyncrasies of each individual 
patient. A disease which can be cured in one case refuses 
to yield in another, the mental attitudes of the patients not 
being the same. Besides, the mental environment of the 
patient has much to do with his amenability to control by 
mental processes. In an atmosphere of incredulity, doubt, 
and prejudice, a patient stands little chance of being bene- 
fited, however strong may be his own faith in mental thera- 
peutics. Every doubt existing in the minds of those 



PSYCHO-THERAPEUTICS. 165 

surrounding him is inevitably conveyed telepathically to his 
subjective mind, and operates as an adverse suggestion of 
irresistible potentiality. It requires a very strong will, per- 
fect faith, and constant affirmative auto-suggestion on the 
part of the patient to overcome the adverse influence of an 
environment of incredulity and doubt, even though no word 
of that doubt is expressed in presence of the patient. It 
goes without saying that it is next to impossible for a sick 
person to possess the necessary mental force to overcome 
such adverse conditions. Obviously, the mental healer 
who undertakes a case under such circumstances, procures 
the discharge of the family physician, and prohibits the 
patient from using medicines, assumes a very grave respon- 
sibility, and does so at the risk of the patient's life and his 
own reputation. 

Success in mental healing depends upon proper mental 
conditions, just as success in healing by physical agencies 
depends upon proper physical conditions. This is a self- 
evident proposition, which the average mental healer is slow 
to understand and appreciate. 

The success of the physician depends as largely upon his 
knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of his patient, his personal 
habits, his mode of living, his susceptibility to the influence 
of medicines, etc., as upon a correct diagnosis and medi- 
cinal treatment of the disease. In like manner the success 
of the mental healer depends largely upon his knowledge 
of his patient's habits of thought, his beliefs, his prejudices, 
and, above all, his mental environment. 

These remarks apply to all methods of mental healing ; 
and, for the purposes of this book, Christian science may 
be taken as a representative of all systems of healing by 
mental suggestion, as distinguished from oral suggestion. 

Hypnotism, as practised by the Nancy school, may 
stand as the representative of mental treatment of disease 
by purely oral suggestion. The following extract from 
Professor Bernheim's able work on " Suggestive Thera- 
peutics " (chapter i.) embraces the essential features of 
the methods of inducing sleep practised by that school : 



1 66 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

" I begin by saying to the patient that I believe benefit is 
to be derived from the use of suggestive therapeutics ; that it 
is possible to cure or to relieve him by hypnotism ; that there is 
nothing either hurtful or strange about it ; that it is an 07'dinary 
sleep, or torpor, which can be induced in every one, and that 
this quiet, beneficial condition restores the equilibrium of the 
aervous system, etc. If necessary, I hypnotize one or two sub- 
jects in his presence, in order to show him that there is nothing 
painful in this condition, and that it is not accompanied with 
any unusal sensation. When I have thus banished from his 
mind the idea of magnetism and the somewhat mysterious fear 
that attaches to that unknown condition, above all when he has 
seen patients cured or benefited by the means in question, he is 
no longer suspicious, but gives himself up. Then I say, ' Look 
at me, and think of nothing but sleep. Your eyelids begin to 
feel heavy, your eyes tired. They begin to wink, they are get- 
ting moist, you cannot see distinctly. They are closed.' Some 
patients close their eyes and are asleep immediately. With 
others, I have to repeat, lay more stress on what I say, and 
even make gestures. It makes little difference what sort of 
gesture is made. I hold two fingers of my right hand before 
the patient's eyes and ask him to look at them, or pass both 
hands several times before his eyes, or persuade him to fix his 
eyes upon mine, endeavoring, at the same time, to concentrate 
his attention upon the idea of sleep. I say, ' Your lids are 
closing, you cannot open them again. Your arms feel heavy, 
so do your legs. You cannot feel anything. Your hands are 
motionless. You see nothing, you are going to sleep.' And I 
add, in a commanding tone, ' Sleep.' This word often turns 
the balance. The eyes close, and the patient sleeps, or is at 
least influenced. I use the word ' sleep,' in order to obtain as 
far as possible over the patients a suggestive influence which 
shall bring about sleep, or a state closely approaching it ; for 
sleep, properly so called, does not always occur. If the patients 
have no inclination to sleep, and show no drowsiness, I take 
care to say that sleep is not essential ; that the hypnotic influ- 
ence, whence comes the benefit, may exist without sleep ; that 
many patients are hypnotized, although they do not sleep. 

" If the patient does not shut his eyes cr keep them shut, I 
do not require them to be fixed on mine, a on my fingers, for 
any length of time, for it sometimes happens that they remain 
wide open indefinitely, and instead of the idea of sleep being 
conceived, only a rigid fixation of the eyes results. In this case, 
closure of the eyes by the operator succeeds better. After 



PS YCHO- THE RAPE UTICS. 1 67 

keeping them fixed one or two minutes, I push the eyelids 
down, or stretch them slowly over the eyes, gradually closing 
them more and more, and so imitating the process of natural 
sleep. Finally, I keep them closed, repeating the suggestion, 
' Your lids are stuck together, you cannot open them. The 
need of sleep becomes greater and greater, you can no longer 
resist.' I lower my voice gradually, repeating the command, 
' Sleep,' and it is very seldom that more than three minutes 
pass before sleep or some degree of hypnotic influence is 
obtained. It is sleep by suggestion, — a type of sleep which 
I insinuate into the brain. 

" Passes or gazing at the eyes or fingers of the operator are 
only useful in concentrating the attention ; they are not abso 
lutely essential. 

" As soon as they are able to pay attention and understand, 
children are, as a rule, very quickly and very easily hypnotized. 
It often suffices to close their eyes, to hold them shut a few 
moments, to tell them to sleep, and then to state that they 
are asleep. 

" Some adults go to sleep just as readily by simple closure of 
the eyes. I often proceed immediately, without making use of 
passes or fixation, by shutting the eyelids, gently holding them 
closed, asking the patient to keep them together, and suggesting 
at the same time the phenomena of sleep. Some of them fall 
rapidly into a more or less deep sleep. Others offer more 
resistance. I sometimes succeed by keeping the eyes closed for 
some time, commanding silence and quiet, talking continuously, 
and repeating the same formulas : ' You feel a sort of drowsi- 
ness, a torpor ; your arms and legs are motionless. Your eye- 
lids are warm. Your nervous system is quiet; you have no 
will. Your eyes remain closed. Sleep is coming.' etc. After 
keeping up this auditory suggestion for several minutes, I 
remove my fingers. The eyes remain closed. I raise the 
patient's arms; they remain uplifted. We have induced 
cataleptic sleep." 

Having succeeded in inducing sleep, or getting the pa- 
tient in a passive and receptive condition, the operator 
then proceeds to suggest the idea of recovery from the 
disease with which he is afflicted. On this subject the 
author speaks as follows : — 

" The patient is put to sleep by means of suggestion ; that is, 
by making the idea of sleep penetrate the mind. He is treated 



1 68 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

by means of suggestion j that is, by making the idea of cure 
penetrate the mind. The subject being hypnotized, M. Li£- 
bault's method consists in affirming in a loud voice the disap- 
pearance of his symptoms. 

" We try to make him believe that these symptoms no longer 
exist, or that they will disappear, the pain will vanish ; that the 
feeling will come back to his limbs ; that the muscular strength 
will increase ; and that his appetite will come back. We profit by 
the special psychical receptivity created by the hypnosis, by the 
cerebral docility, by the exalted ideo-motor, ideo-sensitive, ideo- 
sensorial reflex activity, in order to" provoke useful reflexes, to 
persuade the brain to do what it can to transform the accepted 
idea into reality. 

" Such is the method of therapeutic-suggestion of which 
M. Ltebault is the founder. He was the first clearly to estab- 
lish that the cures obtained by the old magnetizers, and even 
by Braid's hypnotic operations, are not the work either of a 
mysterious fluid or of physiological modifications due to special 
manipulations, but the work of suggestion alone. The whole 
system of magnetic medicine is only the medicine of the imagi- 
nation ; the imagination is put into such a condition by the 
hypnosis that it cannot escape from the suggestion. 

" M. Lie'bault's method was ignored a long time, even by the 
physicians at Nancy. In 1884 Charles Richet was satisfied to 
say that magnetism often has advantages, that it calms nervous 
agitation, and that it may cure or benefit certain insomnias. 

" Since 1882 I have experimented with the suggestive method 
which I have seen used by M. Lie'bault, though timidly at first, 
and without any confidence. To-day it is daily used in my 
clinic ; I practise it before my students ; perhaps no day passes 
in which I do not show them some functional trouble, pain, 
paresis, uneasiness, insomnia, either moderated or instantly 
suppressed by suggestion. 

" For example : a child is brought to me with a pain like 
muscular rheumatism in its arm, dating back four or five days. 
The arm is painful to pressure; the child cannot lift it to its 
head. I say to him, ' Shut your eyes, my child, and go to sleep.' 
I hold his eyelids closed, and go on talking to him. ' You are 
asleep, and you will keep on sleeping until I tell you to wake 
up. You are sleeping very well, as if you were in your bed. 
You are perfectly well and comfortable ; your arms and legs and 
your whole body are asleep, and you cannot move.' I take my 
fingers off his eyelids, and they remain closed ; I put his arms 
up, and they remain so. Then, touching the painful arm, I say. 



PS YCHO- THERA PE UTICS. 1 69 

' The pain has gone away. You have no more pain anywhere ; 
you can move your arm without any pain ; and when you wake 
up you will not feel any more pain. It will not come back any 
more.' In order to increase the force of the suggestion by em- 
bodying it, so to speak, in a material sensation, following 
M. Lie"bault's example I suggest a feeling of warmth loco 
dolente. The heat takes the place of the pain. I say to the 
child, • You feel that your arm is warm ; the warmth increases, 
and you have no more pain/ 

" I wake the child in a few minutes ; he remembers nothing ; 
the sleep has been profound. The pain has almost completely 
disappeared ; the child lifts the arm easily to his head. I see 
the father on the days following : he is the postman who brings 
my letters. He tells me that the pain has disappeared com- 
pletely, and there has been no return of it. 

" Here, again, is a man twenty-six years old, a workman in 
the foundries. For a year he has experienced a painful feeling 
of constriction over the epigastrium, also a pain in the corre- 
sponding region of the back, which was the result of an effort 
made in bending an iron bar. The sensation is continuous, and 
increases when he has worked for some hours. For six months 
he has been able to sleep only by pressing his epigastrium with 
his hand. I hypnotize him. In the first seance I can induce 
only simple drowsiness ; he wakes spontaneously ; the pain 
continues. I hypnotize him a second time, telling him that he 
will sleep more deeply, and that he will remember nothing when he 
wakes. Catalepsy is not present. I wake him in a few minutes ; 
he does not remember that I spoke to him, that I assured him 
that the pain had disappeared. It has completely disappeared ; 
he no longer feels any constriction. I do not know whether it 
has reappeared." 1 

The foregoing extracts present the gist of the methods 
employed by the Nancy school of hypnotism. The hypnotic 
condition is induced solely by oral suggestion, and the 
disease is removed by the same means. There can be no 
doubt of the efficacy of the method, thousands of successful 
experiments having been made by the author and his col- 
leagues. These experiments have demonstrated the exist- 
ence of a power in man to control by purely mental 
processes,- — the functions and conditions of the human 

1 Suggestive Therapeutics, p. 206. 



I^O THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

body. They have thus laid the foundation of a system of 
mental therapeutics which must eventually prove of great 
value to mankind. But they have done more. They have 
demonstrated a principle which reaches out far beyond the 
realm of therapeutics, and covers all the vast field of psy- 
chological research. They have demonstrated the constant 
amenability of the subjective mind to control by the power 
of suggestion. It is not surprising that those who have 
discovered this great principle should insist upon its appli- 
cability to every phenomenon within the range of their 
investigations; but it is strange that they should fail to 
recognize a co-ordinate power governed by the same law, 
within the same field of operations. Yet this is true of the 
modern scientific school of hypnotism to-day. The Nancy 
school believes in the power of suggestion, but confines its 
faith to oral suggestion. Having demonstrated that oral 
suggestion is efficacious in the production of psychic phe- 
nomena, they hold that mental suggestion has no power 
in the same direction. Having demonstrated that certain 
phenomena can be induced independently of any so-called 
fluidic emanation or effluence from the hypnotist, they hold 
that no fluidic emanation is possible. These conclusions 
are not only illogical, they are demonstrably incorrect. The 
Christian scientists are constantly demonstrating the potency 
of purely telepathic suggestion by what they denominate 
"absent treatment; " i. e., treatment of sick persons with- 
out the knowledge of the patients. That there is a power 
emanating from the operator who hypnotizes by means of 
mesmeric passes, seems to be very well authenticated by 
the experiments recorded by the old mesmerists. It must 
be admitted, however, that many of their experiments do 
not conclusively prove anything, for the reason that they 
were made before suggestion as a constant factor in hyp- 
notism had been demonstrated. Recent experiments by 
members of the London Society for Psychical Research 
have, however, now placed that question beyond a doubt. 
Their methods of investigation are purely scientific, and 
were made with a full knowledge and appreciation of the 



PSYCHO- THERAPE UTICS. 



171 



principle of suggestion, and of the distinction between 
mesmerism and hypnotism. 

In an account of some experiments in mesmerism, writ- 
ten by Mr. Edmund Gurney, and recorded in vol. ii. 
pp. 201-205, of the Proceedings of the Society referred 
to, a very interesting experiment is mentioned, which de- 
monstrates the fact that there is an effluence emanating 
from the mesmerizer which is capable of producing very 
marked physical effects upon the subject. In this case the 
subject was blindfolded and allowed to remain in his normal 
condition during the whole of the experiment. His hands 
were then spread out upon a table before him, his fingers 
wide apart. The mesmerizer then made passes over one of 
the fingers, taking care not to move his hand near enough 
to the subject's finger to cause a perceptible movement of 
the atmosphere, or to give any indication in any other way 
which finger was being mesmerized. The result was, in 
every instance, the production of local anaesthesia in the 
finger operated upon, and in no other. 

Oral suggestion, or any other form of physical suggestion, 
was here out of the question ; and telepathic suggestion was 
extremely improbable, in view of the fact that the subject 
was in his normal condition, and consequently not in sub- 
jective rapport with the operator. A further experiment 
was then tried, with a view of ascertaining whether it was 
necessary for the mesmerist to know which finger he was 
operating upon. To that end, the operator's hand was 
guided by the hand of a third party while the passes were 
being made ; and it was found that the selected finger was 
unaffected, when the operator did not know which one 
it was. 

The first of these experiments demonstrates the fact that 
there is an effluence emanating from the mesmerist; and 
the second demonstrates the fact that this effluence is 
directed by his will. 

What this effluence is, man may never know. That it is 
a vital fact in psychic phenomena is certain. Like many 
other subtle forces of nature, it defies analysis. That it 



172 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

exists, and that under certain conditions not yet very clearly 
defined it can be controlled by the conscious intelligence 
of man, is as certain as the existence of electricity. Its 
source is undoubtedly the subjective mind, and it is identical 
with that force which, under other conditions, reappears ir 
the form of so-called spirit-rappings, table-tipping, etc. 

Space will not permit the reproduction of further account 
of the experiments of the Society for Psychical Research 
and the reader is referred to their Proceedings for fuller 
information. It must suffice to say that the experiments 
referred to are completely demonstrative, not only of the 
fact that an effluence does emanate from the mesmeric 
operator, but that under mesmeric conditions telepathic 
suggestion is as potent as are the oral suggestions of the 
hypnotists. 

These facts are beginning to be recognized even by the 
scientists of Europe, thanks to the carefully conducted ex- 
periments of the Society for Psychical Research. Professor 
Liebault himself, the discoverer of the law of suggestion, 
now freely admits the fact that a specific influence is some- 
times exerted by the mesmerizer upon his subject, which does 
not arise from oral suggestion. In fact, this doctrine must 
soon be, if it is not now, one of the recognized principles of 
psychic science. 

It will thus be seen that healing by mesmerism is a pro- 
cess clearly distinct from healing by hypnotism. The latter 
depends for its effects wholly upon oral suggestion and the 
unaided power of the subjective mind of the patient over 
the functions and conditions of his body ; whereas the mes- 
meric healer exerts a positive force of great potentiality upon 
the body of the patient, filling it with vitality, in addition to 
the oral suggestion of the hypnotist. Not only so, but when 
purely mesmeric methods are employed, — that is, when the 
mesmerist is in subjective rapport with his patient, as fully 
explained in a former chapter, — he is in a condition to 
convey suggestions telepathically with as much certainty 
and potency as he could orally. In point of fact, telepathic 
suggestions by a genuine mesmerist are often far more eni- 



PS YCHO- THE RAPE UTICS. 1 7 3 

carious than the oral suggestions of a hypnotist, for the 
simple reason that the mesmerist, being in a partially sub- 
jective condition himself, is able to perceive by intuition 
the true condition of the patient. In other words, the in- 
tuitive, or subjective, diagnosis of an intelligent mesmerist, 
supposing always the true mesmeric conditions to be present, 
is far more likely to be correct than the objective diagnosis 
of the hypnotist. For, be it. known, it is just as necessary 
for the mental healer, whatever may be his processes or his 
theory, to be able to make a correct diagnosis of a case as 
it is for the allopathic physician. The reason is the same 
in both cases. The efforts of the healer must necessarily 
be exerted in the right direction, or they will be futile. 
Hence it is that, other things being equal, the most intelli- 
gent mental healer is always the most successful. 

Taking it for granted, then, that there is a fluidic emana^ 
tion, or effluence, proceeding from the mesmerist and im- 
pinging upon the patient, it follows that there is a positive 
dynamic force exerted upon the patient, either for good or 
evil, by the employment of mesmeric methods. That its 
effects are salutary when properly used for therapeutic pur- 
poses is proved by the concurrent testimony of all who have 
intelligently made the experiment, from the days of Para- 
celsus down to the present time. 

From this it would appear that mesmerism must be the 
most powerful, in its immediate effects, of any of the known 
methods of mental healing. It combines oral suggestion 
with mental suggestion, and employs in addition that mys- 
terious psycho-physical force, or effluence, popularly known 
as animal magnetism. 

Before leaving this branch of the subject, a few remarks 
will be in order regarding the relative value of the different 
systems of mental healing now in vogue. It has frequently 
been charged that healing by hypnotism and mesmerism is 
not lasting in its effects, — that no permanent cure is ever 
made by these methods. It must be admitted that there is 
some ground for these statements, although so sweeping a 
charge is by no means justifiable. It is true that in many 



174 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

instances patients who have been cured by hypnotism and 
mesmerism have suffered a relapse, and in some cases the 
relapse has been worse than was the original sickness. This 
of itself constitutes no valid objection to the means of cure ; 
for it must be admitted that under no system of treatment 
is a patient free from the danger of a relapse or of a recur- 
rence of the disease at some future time. There is, how- 
ever, this to be said in regard to hypnotic or mesmeric 
treatment which does not apply with the same force to 
healing by medicines. The success of mental methods of 
treatment depending, as it does, upon the mental condition 
of the patient and upon the mental impressions made upon 
him, it follows that if the mental impressions are not per- 
manent, the cure may not be permanent. Hence it often 
happens that a patient, elated by the success of hypnotic 
treatment in his case, relates the circumstances to his 
friends, especially to his sceptical associates, only to meet 
with a storm of ridicule, or at least with expressions of 
incredulity or doubt. In such a mental environment his 
subjective mind inevitably takes hold of the adverse sugges- 
tions, and without being objectively conscious of it, he has 
lost faith, the citadel of his defence is broken down, and 
if his disease had a mental origin, he is open to another 
attack more severe and serious perhaps than the first. 
That Christ was fully alive to this danger is shown by the 
fact that when he healed a person in private, he rarely failed 
to place the solemn injunction upon him, "See thou tell no 
man." No recorded words that the Master ever uttered 
display a more profound knowledge of the underlying prin- 
ciples of mental healing than these. Modern healers are 
not so modest, nor do they seem to understand the prime 
necessity for seeing to it that their patients are kept in a 
proper frame of mind in reference to their disease and the 
means employed to cure them. The general principle of 
auto-suggestion is recognized by all scientific hypnotists of 
the present day ; but they fail to recognize its extreme im- 
portance as a therapeutic agent. Properly understood and 
applied, auto-suggestion supplies a means of enabling every 



PS YCHO- THE RAPE UTICS. 1 7 5 

one to heal himself, or at least to hold himself in the proper 
mental attitude to make permanent the good effects of hyp- 
notic treatment by others. Many of the pains and ills to 
which the average man is subject can be cured by this 
means, and it should be the first care of every hypnotist to 
instruct his patients in this branch of the science. In this 
respect the Christian scientists are far in advance of the 
hypnotists and mesmerists. They teach their patients how 
to help themselves. They organize them into classes, 
deliver lectures, and give minute instructions how to treat 
themselves, as well as how to treat others. Without knowing 
it, they in effect teach their patients the methods of auto- 
suggestion. Without having the remotest conception of the 
real principles which underlie their so-called "science," 
they have somehow stumbled upon the machinery of mental 
therapeutics. To do them full justice, it must be said that 
they employ the machinery to good purpose. They do 
much good and little harm, and the little harm they do, 
generally arises from over confidence in the universal efrl< 
cacy of their methods. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS. 

Telepathy the Normal Means of Communication between Subjective 
Minds. — Perfect Passivity required for Therapeutic Suggestions. 

— Natural Sleep the most Perfect State of Passivity. — Hypnotic 
Sleep and Natural Sleep identical. — Phenomena of Dreams. — 
Subjective Mind controllable by Suggestion during Natural Sleep 

— Illustrative Incidents. — Passivity a Necessity on the Part of the 
Operator. — The Subjective Mind can be caused to convey Tele- 
pathic Messages during Sleep, — Illustrative Experiments. 



THE science of psycho-therapeutics is yet in its infancy. 
Thus far just enough has been learned to stimulate 
research. It has been demonstrated that there is a psychic 
power inherent in man which can be employed for the 
amelioration of his own physical condition, as well as that 
of his fellows. When this is said, nearly all the ground 
covered by present knowledge has been embraced. It is 
true that many wonderful cures have been effected, many 
marvellous phenomena developed. Nevertheless, all are 
groping in the dark, with only an occasional glimmering of 
distant light shed upon the subject ; and this light serves 
principally to show how little is now known, compared with 
what there is yet to learn. 

In one view of the situation, however, it may be said 
that much has already been accomplished. In the conflict 
of theoretical discussion, and by means of the various and 
seemingly conflicting methods of operation, certain laws 
have been discovered which may serve as a basis for new 
experiments and new discoveries. It is the province of 
science to collate those laws and to classify the facts where- 



A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS \JJ 

ever found, and from them to try to reason up to the gen- 
eral principles involved. When this is done, fearlessly and 
conscientiously, a decided step in advance will have been 
made. Some new law may then be discovered, or at least 
some new method of operation may be developed, which 
shall add to the general stock of knowledge of the science, 
and enlarge its field of usefulness. 

It is the object of the writer to offer a few observations 
in this chapter, in a direction believed to be substantially 
new, and briefly to present some conclusions at which he has 
arrived from a careful examination of premises which seem 
to have been well established by the experiments of others. 
Before doing so it will be necessary first to state the pre- 
mises upon which the conclusions are based ; and in doing 
this, care will be taken not to travel outside of well-authen- 
ticated experiments. 

The first proposition is, that there is inherent in man- 
kind the power to communicate thoughts to others inde- 
pendently of objective means of communication. The truth 
of this general proposition has been so thoroughly demon- 
strated by the experiments of members of the London 
Society for Psychical Research that time and space will not 
be wasted in its further elucidation. For a full treatment 
of the subject the reader is referred to " Phantasms of the 
Living," in which the results of the researches of that So- 
ciety are ably set forth by Messrs. Edmund Gurney, F. W. 
H. Myers, and Frank Podmore. It is hardly necessary to 
remind the intelligent reader that the methods of investiga- 
tion employed by these able and indefatigable laborers in 
the field of psychical research are purely scientific, and their 
works are singularly free from manifestations of prejudice 
or of unreasoning scepticism on the one hand, and of 
credulity on the other. It is confidently assumed, there- 
fore, that the power of telepathic communication is as 
thoroughly established as any fact in nature. 

Now, telepathy is primarily the communion of subjective 
minds, or rather it is the normal means of communication 
between subjective minds. The reason of the apparent 

12 



178 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

rarity of its manifestation is that it requires exceptional con- 
ditions to bring its results above the threshold of conscious- 
ness. There is every reason to believe that the souls, or 
subjective minds, of men can and do habitually hold com- 
munion with one another when not the remotest perception 
of the fact is communicated to the objective intelligence.^ 
It may be that such communion is not general among men ; 
^but it is certain that it is held between those who, from any 
cause, are en rapport. The facts recorded by the Society 
for Psychical Research demonstrate that proposition. Thus, 
near relatives are oftenest found to be in communion, as is 
shown by the comparative frequency of telepathic com- 
munications between relatives, giving warning of sickness 
or of death. Next in frequency are communications be- 
tween intimate friends. Communications of this character 
between comparative strangers are apparently rare. Of 
course the only means we have of judging of these things 
is by the record of those cases in which the communications 
have been brought to the objective consciousness of the 
percipients. From these cases it seems fair to infer that 
the subjective minds of those who are deeply interested in 
one another are in habitual communion, especially when the 
personal interest or welfare of either agent or percipient is 
at stake. Be this as it may, it is certain that telepathic 
communication can be established at will by the conscious 
effort of one or both of the parties, even between strangers. 
The experiments of the Society above named have demon- 
strated this fact. It will be assumed, therefore, for the pur- 
poses of this argument that telepathic communion can be 
established between two subjective minds at the will of 
either. The fact may not be perceived by the subject, for 
it may not rise above the threshold of his objective con- 
sciousness. But for therapeutic purposes it is not necessary 
that the patient should know, objectively, that anything 
is being done for him. Indeed, it is often better that he 
should not know it, for reasons set forth in a former chapter. 
The second proposition is that a state of perfect passivity 
on the part of the percipient is the most favorable con- 



A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS. 179 

dition for the reception of telepathic impressions or com- 
munications. It needs no argument to establish the truth 
of this proposition. It is universally known to be true, by 
all who have given the slightest attention to psychological 
science, that passivity on the part of the subject is the pri- 
mary condition necessary for the production of any psychic 
phenomenon. Passivity simply means the suspension of 
the functions of the objective mind for the time being, for 
the purpose of allowing the subjective mind to receive im- 
pressions and to act upon them. The more perfectly the 
objective intelligence can be held in abeyance, the more / 
perfectly will the subjective mind perform its functions. 
This is why a state of profound hypnotism is the most favor- 
able for the reception of suggestions, either oral or mental. 
That this is more especially true of mental suggestions is 
shown by all experiments in mesmerism. It may, there- 
fore, be safely assumed that the most favorable condition in 
which a patient can be placed for the reception of tele- 
pathic suggestions for therapeutic purposes is the condition 
wherein the functions of his objective intelligence are, for 
the time being, entirely suspended. 

The third proposition is that there is nothing to differ- 
entiate hypnotic sleep from natural sleep. Startling as this 
proposition may appear to the superficial observer, it is 
fully concurred in both by M. Liebault and Professor 
Bernheim. 

" There is no fundamental difference," says the latter, 1 " be- 
tween spontaneous and induced sleep. M. Liebault has very 
wisely established this fact. The spontaneous sleeper is in 
relationship with himself alone ; the idea which occupies his 
mind just before going to sleep, the impressions which the sen- 
sitive and sensorial nerves of the periphery continue to transmit 
to the brain, and the stimuli coming from the viscera, become 
the point of departure for the incoherent images and impressions 
which constitute dreams. Have those who deny the psychical 
phenomena of hypnotism, or who only admit them in cases of 
diseased nervous temperament, ever reflected upon what oc- 
curs in normal sleep, in which the best-balanced mind is carried 

# * Suggestive Therapeutics, pp. 140, 141. 



180 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

by the current, in which the faculties are dissociated, in which 
the most singular ideas and the most fantastic conceptions ob- 
trude ? Poor human reason is carried away, the proudest mind 
yields to hallucinations, and during this sleep — that is to say, 
during a quarter of its existence — becomes the plaything of 
the dreams which imagination calls forth. 

" In induced sleep the subject's mind retains the memory of 
the person who has put him to sleep, whence the hypnotizer's 
power of playing upon his imagination, of suggesting dreams, 
and of directing the acts which are no longer controlled by the 
weakened or absent will." 

There are, in fact, many analogies between the phenom- 
ena of normal sleep and the phenomena of hypnotism. 
For instance, it is well known that the recollection of what 
occurred during hypnotic sleep is in exact inverse propor- 
tion to the depth of the sleep. If the sleep is light, the 
remembrance of the subject is perfect. If the sleep is 
profound, he remembers nothing, no matter what the char- 
acter of the scenes he may have passed through. The 
same is true of dreams. We remember only those dreams 
which occur during the period when we are just going to 
sleep or are just awakening. Profound sleep is dreamless, so 
far as the recollection of the sleeper informs him. Never- 
theless, it is certain that we dream continuously during 
sleep. The subjective mind is ever awake during the sleep 
of the body, and always active. Our dreams are often in- 
coherent and absurd, for the reason that they are generally 
invoked by peripheral impressions. These impressions con- 
stitute suggestions which the subjective mind, in obedience 
to the universal law, accepts as true ; and it always deduces 
the legitimate conclusions therefrom. For instance, it is 
probably within the experience of every reader that an 
accidental removal of the bed-clothing during a cold night 
will cause the sleeper to dream of wading through snow, or 
of sleigh-riding. And the dream will be pleasant or other- 
wise just in accordance with the character of the other 
attendant peripheral impressions. If the dreamer is in 
good health he will dream of pleasant winter scenes and 
experiences. If his stomach is out of order, or overloaded, 



A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS. l8l 

he will have a nightmare, with a winter setting of ice and 
snow and all that is disagreeable, dank, and dismal. 

As we have seen in the preceding chapters, the subjec- 
tive mind reasons deductively only from premises that are 
suggested to it, whether the suggestions are imparted to it 
by its physical environment, as in sleep, or by oral sug- 
gestion, as in hypnotism, or telepathically, as in the higher 
forms of mesmerism. Its deductions are always logical, 
whether the premises are true or false. Hence the absurd- 
ity of many of our dreams ; they are merely deductions 
from false premises. The suggestions or impressions im- 
parted to us during sleep being the result of accidental 
surroundings and stimuli, modified by the state of our 
health, our mental work during the day, and a thousand 
other things of which we can have no knowledge, and which 
are beyond our control, are necessarily of a heterogeneous 
character ; and the deductions from such premises must of 
necessity be incoherent and fantastic to the last degree. 

It is obvious, therefore, that the subjective mind is amen- 
able to control by suggestion during natural sleep just the 
same as it is during hypnotic, or induced, sleep. It might 
not be unprofitable in this connection to enter into a gen- 
eral inquiry as to how far it would be possible to control 
our dreams by auto-suggestion, and thus obviate the dis- 
comforts incident to unpleasant nocturnal hallucinations. 
But as we are now engaged in a specific inquiry into the 
question of how far the subjective mind can be influenced 
for therapeutic purposes, the general field of speculation 
must be left for others. It is sufficient for present pur- 
poses to establish the proposition that the subjective mind 
is controllable by the power of suggestion during natural 
sleep. 

Recurring in this connection to the preceding proposi- 
tion, that " a state of perfect passivity on the part of the 
patient is the most favorable condition for the reception of 
telepathic impressions or communications for therapeutic 
purposes," the conclusion is obvious that the condition of 
natural sleep, being the most perfectly passive condition 



1 82 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

imaginable, must of necessity be the most favorable condi- 
tion for the reception of telepathic suggestions for therapeu- 
tic purposes. It is especially adapted for the conveyance 
of therapeutic suggestions, for the reason that for such 
purposes it is not necessary that the suggestions or im- 
pressions should rise above the threshold of the patient's 
consciousness. Indeed, as we have before observed, it is 
better that they should not. The object being merely the 
restoration of health, it is not necessary that the objective 
mind should feel, or be conscious of, the impressions or 
suggestions made. It is precisely as it is in hypnotism ; 
the suggestions, whether oral or telepathic, are made to the 
subjective intelligence ; and, in case of profound hypnotic 
sleep, the objective mind retains no recollection of the sug- 
gestions. In either case the subjective mind is the one 
addressed ; and that, being the central power in control of 
the functions and conditions of the body, accepts the sug- 
gestions and acts accordingly. 

There are not wanting facts which show clearly that the 
power exists to convey telepathic messages to sleeping per- 
sons, causing them to dream of the things that the agent 
desires. As long ago as 1819, Councillor H. M. Weser- 
mann, of Dlisseldorf, recorded, in the "Archiv fur den 
thierischen Magnetismus," * a few experiments of his own 
which show this to be true. The following items are re- 
produced in " Phantasms of the Living," 2 from the original 
article above mentioned : — 

" First Experiment, at a Distance of Five Miles. — I en- 
deavored to acquaint my friend, the Hofkammerrath G. (whom 
I had not seen, with whom I had not spoken, and to whom I 
had not written for thirteen years), with the fact of my intended 
visit, by presenting my form to him in his sleep, through the 
force of my will. When I unexpectedly went to him on the 
following evening, he evinced his astonishment at having seen 
me in a dream on the preceding night. 

" Second Experiment, at a Distance of Three Miles. — 
Madame W., in her sleep, was to hear a conversation between 

1 Vol. vi. pp. 136-139. 2 Vol. i. pp. 101, 102. 



A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS. 183 

me and two other persons, relating to a certain secret ; and 
when I visited her on the third day, she told me all that had 
been said, and showed her astonishment at this remarkable 
dream. 

" Third Exfieri?nent, at a Distance of One Mile. — An aged 

person in G was to see in a dream the funeral procession 

of my deceased friend S. ; and when I visited her on the next 
day, her first words were that she had in her sleep seen a funeral 
procession, and on inquiry had learned that I was the corpse. 
Here there was a slight error. 

" Fourth Experiment, at a Distance of One-Eighth of a 
Mile. — Herr Doctor B. desired a trial to convince him, where- 
upon I represented to him a nocturnal street-brawl. He saw it 
in a dream, to his great astonishment. (This means, presum- 
ably, that he was astonished when he found that the actual 
subject of his dream was what Wesermann had been endeavor- 
ing to impress on him.) " 

It would thus seem to be reasonably well established 
that the state of natural sleep is the best possible condition 
for the reception of telepathic suggestions for therapeutic 
purposes. 

The next inquiry in order is, therefore, as to what is 
the best means of conveying telepathic suggestion to the 
sleeping patient. In a previous chapter it has been shown 
that a successful mesmerizer must necessarily be in a par- 
tially subjective condition himself in order to produce the 
higher phenomena of mesmerism. It may, it is thought, 
be safely assumed that the phenomenon of thought-trans- 
ference cannot be produced under any other conditions. 
Indeed, it stands to reason that, inasmuch as it is the sub- 
jective mind of the percipient that is impressed, the mes- 
sage must proceed from the subjective mind of the agent. 
In other words, it is reasonable to suppose that, the sub- 
jective or passive condition being a necessity on the part 
of the percipient or subject, an analogous condition is a 
necessity on the part of the agent or operator. This fact 
is shown, not only in mesmerism, but in the methods of 
Christian scientists. The mesmerist, as we have seen, 
quietly fixes his gaze upon the subject and concentrates 



1 84 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

his mind and will upon the work in hand, and thus, un- 
knowingly, it may be, partially hypnotizes himself. The 
Christian scientist sits quietly by the patient and concen- 
trates his mind, in like manner, upon the central idea of 
curing the patient. And, in either case, just in propor- 
tion to the ability of the operator to get himself into the 
subjective condition will he succeed in accomplishing his 
object, whether it is the production of the higher phenom- 
ena of mesmerism, or the healing of the sick by telepathic 
suggestion. 

If, then, the passive, or subjective, condition of the agent 
is necessary for the successful transmission of telepathic 
suggestions or communications, or if it is the best condi- 
tion for such a purpose, it follows that the more perfectly 
that condition is attained, the more successful will be the 
experiment. As before observed, the condition of natural 
sleep is manifestly the most perfectly passive condition at- 
tainable. It is necessarily perfect, for all the objective 
senses are locked in slumber, and the subjective mind is 
free to act in accordance with the laws which govern it. 
Those laws are, it is true, at present but little understood ; 
but this much has been demonstrated, namely, that the 
subjective mind is controllable by the mysterious power of 
suggestion, and is always most active during sleep. 

Theoretically, then, we find that the most perfect condi- 
tion either for the conveyance or the reception of telepa- 
thic impressions or communications is that of natural sleep. 
The only question that remains to be settled is whether it 
is possible for the agent or operator so to control his own 
subjective mind during his bodily sleep as to compel or 
induce it to convey the desired message to the sub-con- 
sciousness of the patient. To settle this question, we must 
again have recourse to the record of the labors and re- 
searches of the London Society for Psychical Research. It 
might well be inferred that this power must necessarily be 
possessed, when we take into consideration the general law 
of suggestion, coupled with the fact that the subjective 
mind is perfectly amenable to control by auto-suggestion. 



A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS. 185 

li the law of suggestion is valid and universal, the conclu- 
sion is irresistible that this power is inherent in man, even 
without one experimental fact to sustain it. Fortunately, 
we are not left to conjecture in regard to this important 
question. The literature of psychical experiment is full of 
facts which are demonstrative. Some of the experiments 
recorded in " Phantasms of the Living" show that a vastly 
greater power exists in this direction than would be re- 
quired to convey a simple therapeutic suggestion to a sleep- 
ing patient. The following experiments are recorded in 
"Phantasms of the Living." 1 In the first case, the Rev. 
W. Stainton Moses was ' the percipient, and he corroborates 
the following account, written by the agent : — 

" One evening I resolved to appear to Z at some miles' dis- 
tance. I did not inform him beforehand of the intended ex- 
periment, but retired to rest shortly before midnight with 
thoughts intently fixed on Z, with whose room and surround- 
ings I was quite unacquainted. I soon fell asleep, and awoke 
next morning unconscious of anything having taken place. On 
seeing Z, a few days afterwards, I inquired, ' Did anything 
happen at your rooms on Saturday night ? ' ' Yes,' replied he, 
' a great deal happened. I had been sitting over the fire with 
M, smoking and chatting. About 1 2.30 he rose to leave, and I 
let him out myself. I returned to the fire to finish my pipe, 
when I saw you sitting in the chair just vacated by him. I 
looked intently at you, and then took up a newspaper to as- 
sure myself I was not dreaming ; but on laying it down I saw 
you still there. While I gazed, without speaking, you faded 
away.' " 

The next case was recorded by the agent, Mr. S. H. B., 
at the time of the occurrence, and his account of it is duly 
verified by the percipients. It is as follows : — 

On a certain Sunday evening in November, 1881, having 
been reading of the great power which the human will is ca- 
pable of exercising, I determined, with the whole force of my 
being, that I would be present in spirit in the front bed-room on 
the second floor of a house situated at 22 Hogarth Road, Ken- 
sington, in which room slept two ladies of my acquaintance, — 

1 Vol. i. pp. 103-109. 



1 86 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

namely, Miss L. S. V. and Miss E. C. V., aged respectively 
twenty-five and eleven years. I was living at this time at 23 
Kildare Gardens, a distance of about three miles from Hogarth 
Road ; and I had not mentioned in any way my intention of 
trying this experiment to either of the above ladies, for the 
simple reason that it was only on retiring to rest upon this Sun- 
day night that I made up my mind to do so. The time at 
which I determined I would be there was one o'clock in the 
morning ; and I also had a strong intention of making my pres- 
ence perceptible. On the following Thursday I went to see the 
ladies in question, and, in the course of conversation (without 
any allusion to the subject on my part), the elder one told me 
that on the previous Sunday night she had been much terri- 
fied by perceiving me standing by her bedside, and that she 
screamed when the apparition advanced towards her, and awoke 
her little sister, who saw me also. 

I asked her if she was awake at the time, and she replied 
most decidedly in the affirmative ; and upon my inquiring the 
time of the occurrence, she replied, " About one o'clock in the 
morning." 

This lady, at my request, wrote down a statement of the 
event, and signed it. 

This was the first occasion upon which I tried an experi- 
ment of this kind, and its complete success startled me very 
much. Besides exercising my power of volition very strongly, 
I put forth an effort which I cannot find words to describe. I 
was conscious of a mysterious influence of some sort perme- 
ating in my body, and had a distinct impression that I was 
exercising some force with which I had been hitherto unac- 
quainted, but which I can now at certain times set in motion 
at will. S. H. B. 

The next case of Mr. S. H. B.'s is different in this re- 
spect, that the percipient was not consciously present to the 
agent's mind on the night that he made his attempt : — 

On Friday, Dec. 1, 1882, at 9.30 P. M., I went into a room 
alone and sat by the fireside, and endeavored so strongly to fix 
my mind upon the interior of a house at Kew (namely, Clarence 
Road), in which resided Miss V. and her two sisters, that I 
seemed to be actually in the house. 

During this experiment I must have fallen into a mesmeric 
sleep, for although I was conscious, I could not move my 
limbs. I did not seem to have lost the power of moving them. 



A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS. 1 87 

but I could not make the effort to do so ; and my hands, which 
lay loosely on my knees, about six inches apart, felt involun- 
tarily drawn together, and seemed to meet, although I was 
conscious that they did not move. 

At 10 P. m. I regained my normal state by an effort of the 
will, and then took a pencil and wrote down on a sheet of note- 
paper the foregoing statements. 

When I went to bed on this same night I determined that I 
would be in the front bed-room of the above-mentioned house 
at 12 p. m., and remain there until I had made my spiritual 
presence perceptible to the inmates of that room. 

On the next day (Saturday) I went to Kew to spend the 
evening, and met there a married sister of Miss V. (namely, 
Mrs. L.). This lady I had only met once before, and then it 
was at a ball two years previous to the above date. We were 
both in fancy dress at the time, and as we did not exchange 
more than half-a-dozen words, this lady would naturally have 
lost any vivid recollection of my appearance, even if she had 
remarked it. 

In the course of conversation (although I did not think for 
a moment of asking her any questions on such a subject) she 
told me that on the previous night she had seen me distinctly 
upon two occasions. She had spent the night at Clarence 
Road, and had slept in the front bed-room. At about 9.30 she 
had seen me in the passage, going from one room to another ; 
and at 12 p. m., when she was wide awake, she had seen me 
enter the bedroom and walk round to where she was sleeping, 
and take her hair (which is very long) into my hand. She also 
told me that the apparition took hold of her hand and gazed 
intently into it, whereupon she spoke, saying, " You need not 
look at the lines, for I have never had any trouble." She then 
awoke her sister, Miss V., who was sleeping with her, and told 
her about it. After hearing this account, I took the statement 
which I had written down on the previous evening from my 
pocket and showed it to some of the persons present, who were 
much astonished, although incredulous. 

I asked Mrs. L. if she was not dreaming at the time of the 
latter experience ; but this she stoutly denied, and stated that 
she had forgotten what I was like, but seeing me so distinctly, 
she recognized me at once. 

Mrs. L. is a lady of highly imaginative temperament, and 
told me that she had been subject since childhood to psycho- 
logical fancies, etc. ; but the wonderful coincidence of the time 
(which was exact) convinced me that what she told me was 



188 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

more than a flight of the imagination. At my request she 
wrote a brief account of her impressions, and signed it. 

S. H. B. 

One of the authors of " Phantasms of the Living " (Mr. 
Gurney) on one occasion requested Mr. B. to send him a 
note on the night that he intended to make his next ex- 
periment of the kind, whereupon the following correspon- 
dence ensued : — 

March 22, 1884. 

Dear Mr. Gurney, — I am going to try the experiment to- 
night of making my presence perceptible at 44 Morland Square, 
at 12 P. m. I will let you know the result in a few days. 

Yours very sincerely, S. H. B. 

The next letter was received in the course of the follow- 
ing week : — 

April 3, 1884. 

Dear Mr. Gurney, — I have a strange statement to show 
you respecting my experiment, which was tried at your sugges- 
tion, and under the test conditions which you imposed. Hav- 
ing quite forgotten which night it was on which I attempted 
the projection, I cannot say whether the result is a brilliant 
success, or only a slight one, until I see the letter which I 
posted you on the evening of the experiment. Having sent you 
that letter, I did not deem it necessary to make a note in my 
diary, and consequently have let the exact date slip my mem- 
ory. If the dates correspond, the success is complete in every 
detail, and I have an account signed and witnessed to show 
you. 

I saw the lady (who was the subject) for the first time last 
night, since the experiment, and she made a voluntary state- 
ment to me, which I wrote down at her dictation, and to which 
she has attached her signature. The date and time of the ap- 
parition are specified in this statement, and it will be for you to 
decide whether they are identical with those given in my letter 
to you. I have completely forgotten, but yet I fancy that they 
are the same. S. H. B. 

This is the statement : — 

44 Morland Square, W. 
On Saturday night, March 22, 1884, at about midnight, I 
had a distinct impression that Mr. S. H. B. was present in my 



A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS. 189 

room, and I distinctly saw him whilst I was quite wide awake. 
He came towards me and stroked my hair. I voluntarily gave 
him this information when he called to see me on Wednesday, 
April 2, telling him the time and the circumstances of the appa- 
rition, without any suggestion on his part. The appearance in 
my room was most vivid, and quite unmistakable. 

L. S. Verity. 

Miss A. S. Verity corroborates as follows : — 

I remember my sister telling me that she had seen S. H. B., 
and that he had touched her hair, before he came to see us on 
April 2. A. S. V. 

Mr. B.'s own account is as follows : — 

On Saturday, March 22, I determined to make my presence 
perceptible to Miss V. at 44 Morland Square, Notting Hill, at 
twelve, midnight; and as I had previously arranged with Mr. 
Gurney that I should post him a letter on the evening on which 
I tried my next experiment (stating the time and other particu- 
lars), I sent a note to acquaint him with the above facts. 

About ten days afterwards I called upon Miss V., and she 
voluntarily told me that on March 22, at twelve o'clock, mid- 
night, she had seen me so vividly in her room (whilst widely 
awake) that her nerves had been much shaken, and she had 
been obliged to send for a docto*" in the morning. 

S. H. B. 

Mr. Gurney adds : — 

" It will be observed that in all these instances the conditions 
were the same, — the agetit concentrating his thoughts on the 
object in view before going to sleep. Mr. B. has never succeeded 
in producing a similar effect when he has been awake." 

The foregoing instances have been quoted merely for the 
purpose of showing that the power exists in mankind to 
cause telepathic impressions to be conveyed from one to 
another, not only when the percipient is awake and the 
agent is asleep, but when both are asleep. It is true that 
they do not demonstrate the proposition that the power 
can be employed for therapeutic purposes when both are 
asleep ; but the inference is irresistible that such is the 
case. They do, however, demonstrate the existence of a 



190 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

power far greater than one would naturally suppose would 
be required to convey a therapeutic suggestion. In the 
cases cited, the impressions were brought above the thresh- 
old of the consciousness of the percipients. It may well 
be inferred that a power sufficiently great to cause the per- 
cipient, in his waking moments, to see the image or appa- 
rition of the agent, or even to dream of him when asleep 
so vividly as to remember the dream, must be easily ca- 
pable of imparting any thought, impression, or suggestion 
which is not required to be raised above the threshold of 
consciousness. 

All that would seem to be required is that the agent, 
before going to sleep, should strongly will, desire, and di- 
rect his subjective entity to convey the necessary thera- 
peutic suggestions, influence, or impressions to the sleeping 
patient. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS {continued). 

Recapitulation of Propositions. — Natural Sleep the Best Condition 
attainable both for Healer and Patient. — Demonstrative Experi- 
ments. — Healing at a Distance of One Thousand Miles. — Dis- 
tance no Obstacle. — Space does not exist for the Subjective 
Mind. — Objective Habits of Thought the only Adverse Factor. — 
Diseases treated. — Strabismus Cured. — Mode of Operation. — 
Not a Good Money-making Scheme. — It Promotes the Health of 
the Healer. — A Method of Universal Utility. — Self-healing its 
Most Important Function. — The Power absolute. — Within the 
Reach of all. — Method of Self-healing. — The Patient's Credulity 
not overtaxed. — The Example of Christ. — Material Remedies 
not to be ignored. — Advice to Christian Scientists. — The Control 
of Dreams. — Practical Conclusions. 

IT is thought that the following propositions have now 
been, at least provisionally, established : — 
i . There is, inherent in man, a power which enables him 
to communicate his thoughts to others, independently of 
objective means of communication. 

2. A state of perfect passivity on the part of the perci- 
pient is the most favorable condition for the reception of 
telepathic impressions or communications. 

3. There is nothing to differentiate natural sleep from 
induced sleep. 

4. The subjective mind is amenable to control by sug- 
gestion during natural sleep just the same as it is during 
induced sleep. 

5. The condition of natural sleep, being the most per- 
fect passive condition attainable, is the best condition for 
the reception of telepathic impressions by the subjective 
mind. 



192 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

6. The most perfect condition for the conveyance of tele- 
pathic impressions is that of natural sleep. 

7. The subjective mind of the agent can be compelled 
to communicate telepathic impressions to a sleeping perci- 
pient by strongly willing it to do so just previous to going 
to sleep. 

The chain of reasoning embraced in the foregoing propo- 
sitions seems to be perfect ; and it is thought that sufficient 
facts have been adduced to sustain each proposition which 
is not self-evident, or confirmed by the common experience 
of mankind. The conclusion is irresistible that the best 
possible condition for the conveyance of therapeutic sugges- 
tions from the healer to the patient is attained when both 
are in a state of natural sleep ; and that such suggestions 
can be so communicated by an effort of will on the part of 
the healer just befo?-e going to sleep. 

It is not proposed herein to detail the many experiments 
which have been made with a view of testing the correctness 
of this theory, my present object being to advance the 
hypothesis tentatively, in order to induce others to experi- 
ment as I have done. It must suffice for the present to 
state that over one hundred experiments have been made 
by the writer and one or two others to whom he has con- 
fided his theory, without a single failure. Some very strik- 
ing cures have been effected, — cures that would take rank 
with the most marvellous instances of healing recorded in 
the annals of modern psycho-therapeutics. It is obvious 
that details of names and dates could not properly be 
given, for the reason that the cures have been effected 
without any knowledge on the part of the patients that they 
were being made the subjects of experiment. I do not feel 
at liberty, therefore, to drag their names before the public 
without their consent. Besides, if they were now made 
acquainted with the facts, their recollection of the circum- 
stances of their recovery would in many instances be indis- 
tinct ; and, as a matter of course, all of them have attributed 
their sudden recovery to other causes. 

I have taken care, however, in many instances to acquaint 



A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS 193 

third persons with intended experiments, and to request 
them to watch the results ; so that I have the means at 
hand to verify my statements if necessary. 

The first case was that of a relative who had for many 
years been afflicted with nervous trouble, accompanied by 
rheumatism of the most terrible character. He was subject 
to the most excruciating spasms during his nervous attacks 
of rheumatic trouble, and was frequently brought to the verge 
of the grave. He had been under the care of many of the 
ablest physicians of this country and of Europe, finding only 
occasional temporary relief. An idea of the suffering which 
he endured may be imagined from the fact that one of his 
hips had been drawn out of joint, by which the leg had 
been shortened about two inches. This, however, had been 
partially restored by physical appliances before the psychic 
treatment began. In short, he was a hopeless invalid, with 
nothing to look to for relief from his sufferings but death. 

The treatment began on the 15th of May, 1890. Two 
persons were informed of the proposed experiment, and 
uere requested to note the time when the treatment began. 
They were pledged to profound secrecy, and to this day the 
patient is not aware that he was made the subject of an ex- 
periment in psycho-therapeutics. After the lapse of a few 
months, one of the persons intrusted with the secret met the 
invalid, and learned, to her surprise and delight, that he was 
comparatively well. When asked when he began to im- 
prove, his reply was, " About the middle of May." Since 
then he has been able at all times to attend to the duties 
of his profession, — that of journalist and magazine-writer, 
— and has had no recurrence of his old trouble. 

Of course, this may have been a coincidence ; and had 
it stood as a solitary instance, that would hav~ been the 
most rational way of accounting for it. But a hundred such 
coincidences do not happen in succession without a single 
break ; and more than a hundred experiments have been 
made by this process by myself and two other persons,, and 
not a single failure has thus far been experienced, where the 
proper conditions have been observed. In two cases the 

13 



194 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

patients have not been perceptibly benefited ; but in both 
of those they were notified of the intended experiments, and 
wefe profoundly sceptical. But these failures cannot be 
charged to the account of this method of treatment, for the 
simple reason that the fundamental principle of the system 
was deliberately violated. That is to say, the best condi- 
tions were not observed, — in that the patient was informed 
beforehand of what was intended. In such cases the healer 
is handicapped by probable adverse auto-suggestion, as has 
been fully explained in former chapters. The principle can- 
not be too strongly enforced that neither the patient nor 
any of his immediate family should ever be informed be- 
forehand of the intended experiment. Failure does not 
necessarily follow the imparting of such information; but 
when the patient or his immediate friends are aware of the 
effort being made in his behalf, there is always danger of 
adverse auto-suggestion on the part of the patient, or of 
adverse suggestion being made orally or telepathically by 
his sceptical friends. The conditions are then no better 
and no worse than the conditions ordinarily encountered by 
those who employ other methods of mental healing. I have 
successfully treated patients after informing them of my in- 
tentions ; but it was because I first succeeded in impress- 
ing them favorably, and their mental environment was not 
antagonistic. 

One fact of peculiar significance connected with the case 
of rheumatism above mentioned must not be omitted ; and 
this is that the patient was a thousand miles distant when 
the cure was performed. Others have been successfully 
treated at distances varying from one to three hundred 
miles. The truth is, as has been before remarked, space 
does not seem to exist for the subjective mind. Experi- 
mental telepathy demonstrates this fact. Cases of thought- 
transference are recorded where the percipient was at the 
antipodes. The only thing that operates to prevent suc- 
cessful telepathy between persons at great distances from 
each other is our habit of thinking. We are accustomed 
to regard space as an obstacle which necessarily prevents 



A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS. 195 

successful communication between persons. It is difficult 
to realize that space is merely a mode of objective thought, 
so to speak, and that it does not exist as an obstacle in the 
way of subjective transmission of impressions. We arc, 
therefore, handicapped by a want of faith in our ability in 
that direction. In other words, our faith is in inverse pro- 
portion to the distance involved. When we can once re- 
alize the fact that distance does not exist for the soul, we 
sha\l find that a patient can be treated as successfully by 
telepathic suggestion in one part of the world as another. 
The only exception to the rule will be when the patient 
is at the antipodes; for then the healer and the patient 
wiH not ordinarily both be asleep at the same time. But 
space, or distance between the agent and the percipient, 
does not enter per se as an adverse element to modify the 
effects of telepathic suggestion. 

The diseases thus far successfully treated by this process 
have been rheumatism, neuralgia, dyspepsia, bowel com- 
plaint, sick headache, torpidity of the liver, chronic bron- 
chitis, partial paralysis, pen paralysis, and strabismus. The 
last-named case was not treated by myself, and I very 
seriously doubt whether I could have commanded sufficient 
confidence to be successful. But a lady, whom I had in- 
structed in the process, asked me if I thought there was any 
use in her trying to cure a bad case of strabismus, her little 
niece, about ten years of age, having been thus afflicted 
from her birth. I unhesitatingly assured her that there 
was no doubt of her ability to effect a cure. Full of confi- 
dence, she commenced the treatment, and kept it up for 
about three months, -at the end of which time the cure was 
complete. In this case the best conditions were rigidly 
adhered to, no one but myself having been informed of 
the intended experiment. A volume could be filled with 
the details of the experiments which have been made ; but 
as it is foreign to the purpose of this book to treat exhaus- 
tively any one phase of psychological phenomena, but rather 
to develop a working hypothesis applicable to all branches 
of the subject, the foregoing must suffice. 



1Q6 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

Little need be said regarding the mode of operation, as 
it is apparent from what has been said that the method is 
as simple as it is effective. All that is required on the part of 
the operator is that he shall be possessed of an earnest de- 
sire to cure the patient ; that he shall concentrate his mind, 
just before going to sleep, upon the work in hand, and 
direct his subjective mind to occupy itself during the night 
in conveying therapeutic suggestions to the patient. To 
that end the operator must accustom himself to the assump- 
tion that his subjective mind is a distinct entity ; that it 
must be treated as such, and guided and directed in the 
work to be done. The work is possibly more effective if 
the operator knows the character of the disease with which 
the patient is afflicted, as he would then be able to give his 
directions more specifically. But much may be left to in- 
stinct, of which the subjective mind is the source. It seems 
reasonable to suppose, however, that if that instinct is edu- 
cated by objective training it will be all the better. This is, 
however, a question which must, be left for future experi- 
mental solution, not enough being now positively known 
to warrant a statement as to how far the healing power of 
the subjective mind is, or may be, modified by the objective 
knowledge or training of the healer. 

Be this as it may, the fact remains that all men possess 
the power to alleviate human suffering, to a greater or 
less degree, by the method developed in the foregoing 
pages. For obvious reasons it is not a method by which 
money can be made. But it is pre-eminently a means of 
laying up treasures where neither moth nor rust can corrupt, 
nor thieves break through and steal. Each one has it in 
his power to alleviate the sufferings of his neighbor, his 
friend, or the stranger within his gates ; but his compensa- 
tion must consist in the consciousness of doing good, and 
in the hope of that reward promised by the Master to those 
who do their alms in secret. There is, nevertheless, a prac- 
tical and immediate reward accompanying every effort to 
heal the sick by the method herein indicated. In consists 
in this, — that every earnest effort to convey therapeutic 



A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS. 197 

impressions to a patient during sleep is inevitably followed 
by a dreamless sleep on the part of the healer. It would 
seem that the subjective mind, following the command or 
suggestions of the healer, occupies itself with the work it is 
directed to do, to the exclusion of all else ; and hence the 
physical environment of the sleeper fails to produce peri- 
pheral impressions strong enough to cause the dreams which 
ordinarily result from such impressions. Following the uni- 
versal law, it obeys the suggestions of the objective mind, 
and persists in following the line indicated until it is re- 
called by the awakening of the bodily senses. 

Moreover, therapeutic suggestions imparted during sleep 
inevitably react favorably upon the healer ; and thus his own 
health is promoted by the act which conduces to the health 
of the patient. And thus it is that therapeutic suggestion 
may be likened to the " quality of mercy " which "is not 
strained, it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon 
the place beneath ; it is twice blessed : it blesseth him that 
gives, and him that takes." 

It is easy to foresee that when the world once under- 
stands and appreciates the wonderful therapeutic powers 
inherent in the human soul, a great change will be the 
result. When it is once understood that the power exists 
in every human organism to alleviate physical suffering by 
a method at once so simple, so effective, and so mutually 
beneficial, it cannot be doubted that a large proportion of 
the ills to which flesh is heir will exist only in history. 

The most important branch of psycho-therapeutics is, 
however, yet to be discussed. It has been shown in this 
and former chapters that auto-suggestion plays its subtle 
role in every psychological experiment. It has been shown 
that the subjective mind of an individual is constantly con- 
trolled by the suggestion of his own objective mind. This 
is the normal relation of the two minds ; and when that 
control ceases, the person is insane just in proportion to the 
degree in which the objective mind has abdicated its func- 
tions. This control is ordinarily exercised unconsciously 
to the individual, x That is to say, we do not ordinarily 



198 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

recognize the operations of the two minds, for the simple 
reason that we do not stop to philosophize upon the subject 
of their mutual relations. But when we once recognize the 
fact, we have not only arrived at the principle which lies at 
the foundation of all true psychological science, but we are 
prepared to accept the subsidiary proposition which under- 
lies the science of mental self-healing. That proposition is, 
that man can control by suggestion the operations of his 
own subjective mind, even though the suggestion be in 
direct contravention to his own objective belief. This is 
unqualifiedly true, even though the suggestion may be con- 
trary to reason, experience, or the evidence of the senses. 
A moment's reflection will convince any one of the truth of 
this proposition. It is auto-suggestion that fills our asylums 
with monomaniacs. That long- continued and persistent 
dwelling upon a single idea often results in chronic halluci- 
nation, is a fact within the knowledge of every student of 
mental science. That it often happens that a monomaniac 
identifies himself with some great personage, even with the 
Deity, is a fact within common knowledge. What gives 
rise to such hallucinations is not so well known ; but every 
student of the pathology of insanity will verify the statement 
that auto-suggestion is the primary factor in every case. 
The patient, who is usually a monumental egotist to start 
with, begins by imagining himself to be a great man ; and 
by long-continued dwelling upon the one thought he ends 
by identifying himself with some great historical character 
whom he specially admires. If he is afflicted with some 
nervous disorder which causes him to pass easily and habit- 
ually into the subjective condition, the process of fastening 
the hallucination upon his mind is easy and rapid, and he 
is soon a fit subject for a lunatic asylum. But, whatever 
physical condition may be a necessary factor in producing 
such hallucinations, the fact remains that auto-suggestion is 
the primary cause. 

The subject is introduced here merely to illustrate the 
power and potency of auto-suggestion, even when the sug- 
gestion is against the evidence of reason and sense. It 



A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS. 1 99 

must not be forgotten that an auto-suggestion which pro- 
duces a hallucination such as has been described, operates 
on the lines of strongest resistance in nature. If, therefore, 
such results can be produced when opposed by the strong- 
est instincts of our nature, how much easier must it be to 
produce equally wonderful results when operating in har- 
mony with those instincts, and, hence, on the lines of least 
resistance. 

It is self-evident, therefore, that auto-suggestion can be 
employed to great advantage for therapeutic purposes. 
Indeed, the power of self-help is the most important part 
of mental therapeutics. Without it the science is of com- 
paratively little value or benefit to mankind. With it goes 
the power to resist disease, — to prevent sickness, as well 
as to cure it. The old axiom, that " an ounce of preven- 
tion is worth a pound of cure," holds good in psycho- 
therapeutics as well as in material remedies, and he who 
obtains the power to hold himself in the mental attitude 
which enables him to resist the encroachments of disease 
has mastered the great secret of mental medicine. That it 
can be done by any one of ordinary intelligence, is a fact 
which has been demonstrated beyond question. The best 
workers in the field of Christian science give more atten- 
tion to teaching their pupils and patients how to help them- 
selves than they do to instructing them how to help others. 
And this is the secret of the permanence of their cures, as 
has been fully explained in other chapters of this book. 
The process by which it can be done is as simple as are 
the laws which govern the subject-matter. 

The patient should bear in mind the fundamental princi- 
ples which lie at the foundation of mental therapeutics, — 

1. The subjective mind exercises complete control over 
the functions and sensations of the body. 

2. The subjective mind is constantly amenable to control 
by the suggestions of the objective mind. 

3. These two propositions being true, the conclusion is 
obvious, that the functions and sensations of the body can 
be controlled by suggestions of the objective mind. 



200 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

The whole science of psycho-therapeutics is embraced in 
the foregoing propositions. They contain all that a patient, 
who undertakes to heal himself or to ward oft the encroach- 
ments of disease, needs to know. The process of making 
a particular application of these principles is equally simple, 
and must be obvious to the intelligent reader. At the risk 
of repetition, a few general directions will be given. 

We will take, for illustration, a simple case of nervous 
headache, and suppose that the patient resolves to cure 
himself. He must, first of all, remember that the subjec- 
tive mind is to be treated precisely as though it were a 
separate and distinct entity. The suggestion must first be 
made that the headache is about to cease ; then, that it is 
already ceasing; and, finally, that it has ceased. These 
suggestions should be made in the form of spoken words, 
and they should be steadily persisted in until the desired 
effect is produced. A constant reiteration of the declara- 
tion that the head is better will inevitably produce the 
desired result ; and, when the effect is distinctly felt, the 
declaration should be boldly made that the pain has en- 
tirely ceased. If any remnants of the pain are felt, the fact 
should be ignored, and the suggestion persisted in that it 
has ceased. This should be followed by the declaration 
that there will be no return of the symptoms ; and this 
should be made with an air, tone, and feeling of perfect 
confidence. 

The only practical difficulty and obstacle in the way of 
success with a beginner lies in the fact that at first he lacks 
confidence. The education of his whole life has been such 
as to cause him to look with distrust upon any but material 
remedies, and there is a disinclination to persist in his 
efforts. But he should remember that it is the suggestions 
conveyed by this very education that he is now called upon 
to combat, neutralize, and overcome by a stronger and more 
emphatic counter-suggestion. If he has the strength of 
will to persist until he is cured, he will find that the next 
time he tries it there will be much less resistance to over- 
come. Having once triumphed, the reasoning of his 



A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS. 207 

objective mind uo longer interposes itself as an obstruction 
but concurs in the truth of his suggestions. He then pos- 
sesses both objective and subjective faith in his powers 
and he finds himself operating on a line of no resistance 
whatever. When he has attained this point the rest is 
easy; and he will eventually be able to effect an instan- 
taneous cure of his headache, or any other pain, the mo- 
ment he finds himself threatened with one. These remarks 
apply, of course, to every disease amenable to control by 
mental processes. 

It will be observed that in the process of applying the 
principles of auto-suggestion to the cure of disease the 
patient is not called upon to tax his own credulity by any 
assertion that is not a demonstrable scientific truth. He is 
not called upon to deny the existence of matter, nor does 
he find it necessary to deny the reality of the disease which 
affects him. In short, he is not called upon to deny the 
evidence of his senses, to assert a manifest impossibility, 
nor to maintain an exasperating absurdity as a condition 
precedent to his recovery. The fact that cures can be made 
and are constantly being made by those who instruct their 
patients that a denial of the existence of matter and of the 
reality of disease is a necessary condition to their recovery, 
is the strongest possible evidence of the truth of the propo- 
sition that the subjective mind is constantly amenable to 
control by the power of suggestion. For it is a fundamen- 
tal truth in psycho- therapeutics that no cure ever was, or 
ever can be, effected by mental processes until the subjec- 
tive mind of the patient is impressed with a belief in the 
efficacy of the means employed. It is obvious, however, 
that it is more difficult to impress a manifest absurdity 
upon the subjective mind of a man of common-sense than 
it is to impress him with a belief in a demonstrable scien- 
tific truth. Hence it is that, by methods now in vogue, 
both healer and patient are handicapped just in proportion 
to the tax laid upon their credulity. The point is, that in 
impressing a patient with a new scientific truth we should 
seek to make it as simple as possible, and avoid anything 



202 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

which will shock his common-sense. Christ enjoined upon 
his followers the simple scientific fact that faith en their 
part was a condition precedent to their reception of the 
benefits of his healing power ; and he compelled them to 
believe, by publicly demonstrating that power. He would 
have had little success among the people with whom he had 
to deal if he had begun his treatment by telling them that 
they had no disease ; that leprosy is a figment of the imagi- 
nation, and has no existence except in the mind ; or that 
blindness is merely blindness of the mind, and not of the 
body ; and that the body itself has no existence except as 
a form of belief. He even resorted to material remedies, as 
in the case of the blind man, when " He spat on the ground, 
and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of 
the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash 
in the Pool of Siloam. He went his way therefore, and 
washed, and came seeing." 1 

The Christian scientist would doubtless say that the clay 
and the subsequent washing in the Pool of Siloam did no 
good, except as they acted through the mind. This may 
be true ; but in either case it teaches a valuable lesson, 
which it would be well for all classes of mental healers to 
remember. If the clay had a curative effect, it shows that 
the Master did not disdain to employ material remedies as 
an auxiliary to his healing power. If, on the other hand, 
it possessed no curative power, it shows that the Great 
Healer did not hesitate to employ any legitimate means at 
hand to confirm and increase the faith of the patient. 

But this is a digression which pertains rather to the gen- 
eral subject of mental healing than to that of self-healing, 
which we are discussing. It is believed that the few simple 
rules herein laid down will enable any one of ordinary in- 
telligence to become proficient, by a little practice, in the 
science of self-healing. It is not a mere theory, without 
practice, which has been here developed. It has been 
demonstrated over and over again to be eminently practical, 
not only as a means of healing disease, but as a means of 

1 John ix. 6. 



A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS. 203 

warding off its encroachments. Indeed, its chief value will 
eventually be found to consist in the almost unlimited 
power which it gives one to protect himself from contract- 
ing disease. To do that it is only necessary to hold one's 
self in the mental attitude of denying the power of disease 
to obtain the mastery over him. When the patient recog- 
nizes the first symptoms of approaching illness, he should at 
once commence a vigorous course of therapeutic auto- 
suggestion. He will find prevention much easier than 
cure ; and by persistently following such a course he will 
soon discover that he possesses a perfect mastery over his 
own health. In this connection it must not be forgotten 
that the method of healing during sleep is as applicable to 
self-healing as it is to healing others. Indeed, perfect rest 
and recuperative slumber can be obtained under almost any 
circumstances at the word of command. Dreams can be 
controlled in this way. If one is troubled by distressing or 
harassing dreams, from whatever cause, he can change 
their current, or prevent them altogether, by energetically 
commanding his subjective mind to do so. It is especially 
efficacious for this purpose to direct his subjective mind to 
employ itself in healing some sick friend. If one habitually 
does this at the time of going to sleep, he will not only be 
certain to obtain recuperative sleep for himself, but he will 
procure that contentment and peace of mind which always 
result from a consciousness of doing good to his fellow- 
creatures. The exercise of the power to heal in this way 
is never a tax upon the vital energies of the healer, but 
always redounds to his own benefit as well as to that of the 
patient. The reason of this is obvious. The normal con- 
dition of the subjective mind during the sleep of the body 
and the quiescence of the objective faculties is that of con- 
stant activity. This activity, under ordinary conditions, 
entails no loss of vital power on the part of the sleeper. 
On the contrary, that is the period of his rest and the 
means of his recuperation. If the activities of his subjec- 
tive mind are directed into pleasant channels, his bodily 
rest is perfect, and his recuperation complete. 



204 THE LAW 0F PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

It is for this reason that the method of healing during 
sleep is better for all concerned than any other system of 
mental healing yet discovered. It follows the lines of 
nature, in that it employs the subjective powers at a time 
when they are normally active ; and it employs them in 
such a way that the ordinary peripheral impressions, which 
often disturb the sleeper and produce unpleasant dreams, 
are overcome by a more potent suggestion. Any other 
method of mental healing, where the subjective powers of 
the healer are called into action, entails a certain loss of 
vital power on his part, for the simple reason that subjec- 
tive activity during waking moments is abnormal. It is true 
that when the work is not carried to excess the physical 
exhaustion may not be perceptible ; but any Christian 
scientist will testify that any great amount of effort in the 
line of his work produces great physical exhaustion. And 
it is noticeable that this exhaustion ensues in exact propor- 
tion to the success of his treatment. This success being in 
proportion to the subjective power exerted, it is reasonable 
to infer that subjective activity during waking hours and 
physical exhaustion bear to each other the relation of cause 
and effect. 




CHAPTER XV. 

THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 

If a Man die, shall he live again ? — The Problem not solved by 
Spiritistic Phenomena. — The Phenomena admitted. — Their Super- 
natural Origin denied. — Explained by the Hypothesis. — Subsidi- 
ary Hypothesis. — An Intelligent Dynamic Force. — Its Character- 
istics. — Limited by Medium's Intelligence. — It is controlled by 
Suggestion. — Phenomena fail in Presence of Scepticism. — Rea- 
sons. — Mediumistic Frauds. — The Primary Lesson in Spiritistic 
Investigation. — Mediums not necessarily dishonest. — Their Honest 
Belief in the Phenomena. — Suggestion explains all. — Illustrations 
from Hypnotism. — Convincing Character of Alleged Communi 
cations. — Telepathic Explanations. — General Conclusions. 

THE next subject which claims our attention in connec- 
tion with the hypothesis under consideration is that of 
modern spiritism. It is approached with much diffidence 
and some misgivings, not because of any doubt as to the 
applicability of the hypothesis to the vast range of so-called 
spiritual phenomena, but because of the transcendent inter- 
est and importance of the subject to all mankind. It can- 
not be forgotten that millions of human beings base their 
hopes of a life beyond the grave upon their belief that in 
the phenomena of spiritism they have tangible evidence 
of the immortality of the soul, and that by means of such 
phenomena they can be put into communication with the 
spirits of the loved ones who have gone before. The fact 
cannot be ignored that there are millions of stricken hearts 
whose wounds have been healed by the consolation afforded 
by that conviction. The great question, "If a man die, 
shall he live again?" has been by these phenomena satis- 
factorily answered for many whom revealed religion failed 



206 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

to satisfy, for many whose reasoning powers have failed to 
grasp the logic of the theologian. It were an unwelcome 
task to throw a shade of doubt upon the validity of evidence 
which to many seems to be " confirmation strong as proofs 
of Holy Writ ; " and if in the perusal of the following pages 
such doubt arises, the reader is begged to discriminate 
between the question of the validity of evidence and the 
question of fact. For, be it remembered, I shall not under- 
take to prove that the souls of men do not live after the 
death of the body. That question stands just where it has 
always stood. It is a problem which, outside of revela- 
tion, is no nearer a solution than it was when Job pro- 
pounded the momentous question. Neither will I under- 
take to say that the spirits of the dead do not and cannot 
communicate with the living. I do not know. But I do 
undertake to say, and will attempt to prove, that the phe- 
nomena of spiritism, so-called, do not constitute valid evi- 
dence of the ability of spirits of the dead to hold intercourse 
with the living. In doing so, no attempt will be made to 
deny the phenomena of spiritism. On the contrary, I shall 
not only admit the possibility of every phenomenon alleged 
by any respectable number of reputable witnesses to have 
occurred, but I shall also assume the substantial accuracy 
of the general statements made by spiritists regarding the 
leading phenomena of spiritism. But I shall attempt to 
explain their origin on other grounds than the supposition 
that they are caused by the spirits of the dead. In other 
words, I admit the alleged phenomena, but deny the alleged 
cause. 

I will not waste time, however, by attempting to prove 
by experiments of my own, or of others, that such phe- 
nomena do occur. It is too late for that. The facts are 
too well known to the civilized world to require proofs at 
this time. The man who denies the phenomena of spirit- 
ism to-day is not entitled to be called a sceptic, he is 
simply ignorant ; and it would be a hopeless task to attempt 
to enlighten him. I shall indulge in the hope, however, 
that by explaining the origin of the phenomena on rational 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 207 

principles, and thus removing them from the realm of the 
supernatural, those who now assume to be sceptical may be 
induced to investigate for themselves. It is easy to deny 
the existence of that for which we cannot account by refer- 
ence to known laws, and it is easy to believe in that which 
can be thus explained. This is especially true in regard to 
phenomena which are popularly attributed to a supernatural 
origin. Modern scientists have an easy way of treating 
such phenomena, which consists in denying their existence 
and refusing to investigate. Such men would plug their 
own ears and deny the phenomenon of thunder if they 
could not account for it by reference to laws with which 
they are familiar. And such a proceeding would be no 
more senseless than, at this day, to deny the phenomena of 
spiritism. 

In justice, however, to those scientists who have sought 
to investigate the subject, and have failed to witness the 
phenomena promised, it must be said that in many in- 
stances their failure is attributable, not to any fault of their 
own, or lack of earnest purpose on their part, but to a 
want of knowledge of the fundamental laws which pertain 
to the production of such phenomena. The reasons for 
the frequent failure to produce psychic phenomena in pres- 
ence of avowed sceptics has been fully discussed in a pre- 
vious chapter of this book, to which the reader is referred. 
But at the risk of repetition they will be restated in their 
proper place in this chapter, as they pertain to the subject 
of so-called spirit phenomena. 

The laws which govern the production of the phenomena 
under consideration are precisely the same as those which 
pertain to all the other phenomena which have been dis- 
cussed ; and the fundamental propositions of our hypothesis 
apply with equal force to them all. Again, the reader is 
asked to recall those propositions, in order that their force 
and logical sequence may remain clear to his mind in this 
connection. They are : — 

1. The mind of man is dual in its nature, — objective 
and subjective. 



208 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

2. The subjective mind is constantly controlled by 
suggestion. 

These two propositions would seem to have been so well 
established as to need no further elucidation at this time. 
The subsidiary proposition, which applies to the phenomena 
under consideration, is that, — 

3. The subjective mind, or entity, possesses physical 
power; that is, the power to make itself heard and felt, and 
to move ponderable objects. 

This may seem at first glance to be begging the question ; 
but its truth must be assumed provisionally, for the sake 
of the argument which follows. It will readily be seen 
that if those three propositions can be established, all the 
physical phenomena of spiritism can be accounted for on 
the ground that living man possesses inherently the power 
to produce them. And this is the position which we must 
assume, for it appears to be the truth. 

It must be acknowledged by all who have witnessed, 
under test conditions, any of the physical phenomena, that 
there is a dynamic force residing somewhere that is capable 
of moving ponderable objects without physical contact, 
and that this force, whatever it is, or from whatever source 
it emanates, possesses intelligence, oftentimes to a remark- 
able degree. Now, this intelligent force either emanates 
from the spirits of the dead, or it does not. If it does not, 
it necessarily follows that it emanates from the living. That 
this last supposition is the true one is evidenced by many 
of the characteristics of the intelligence which it manifests, 
among which the following are prominent : — 

It is essentially a human intelligence, and neither rises 
above nor sinks below the ordinary intelligence of humanity. 

The intelligence is always on a level with that of the 
medium through whom it manifests itself. That is, it never 
rises so far above that of the medium as to preclude the 
possibility of its having its origin in the medium's subjective 
mind. That it often rises above the medium's known objec- 
tive intelligence, is well known and admitted. But we have 
already seen what remarkable powers the subjective mind 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 209 

possesses in certain lines of intellectual activity, and with 
what limitations it is hedged about ; and we find that the 
intellectual feats of mediums possess all the characteristics 
belonging to subjective intelligence, — the same wonderful 
powers, and the same limitations. That so-called spirit 
communications always correspond to the nature of the 
medium's mind and character, and are limited by his 
capacity, is admitted by all the ablest writers on spiritism ; 
and their greatest ingenuity is taxed to account for the fact. 
Alleged communications from the greatest philosophers who 
have gone before, amount to the merest twaddle when fil- 
tered through an ignorant medium. 

Again, we find that the intelligence is controllable by 
the power of suggestion. This is shown in the readiness 
with which " spirits " can be made to respond to calls made 
upon them, whether they have any real existence or not. 
It is well known that any one can as readily obtain a com- 
munication from an imaginary person as from a real one, 
from a living person as from the dead, providing the me- 
dium does not happen to know the facts. The writer has 
had frequent and very affectionate communications from 
an imaginary dead sister, and has occasionally had a very 
touching communication from himself, the medium believ- 
ing the name to represent a dead brother. The fact that 
he never had either brother or sister made the communica- 
tion all the more convincing. 

This perfect amenability to control by suggestion is 
evinced in another most remarkable way. It is well known 
to every person who has been in the habit of attending 
spiritual seances how necessary it is that " harmonious con- 
ditions " should prevail. The very presence of an avowed 
sceptic will often prevent any manifestations. It frequently 
happens that some one present remarks, in a despairing tone, 
that he does not expect any manifestations, " because it al- 
ways happens that when I am present no communications 
can be had." When such a remark is made, the chances are 
ten to one that the "spirits " will refuse to respond. Why 
this happens, spiritists have laboriously attempted to explain, 

14 



210 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

but never satisfactorily, except to themselves. The fact that 
a spirit, possessing sufficient power to move a table, raise a 
piano to the ceiling, or levitate the medium, should be para- 
lyzed in presence of one who does not believe in spirits, is 
simply inexplicable, except upon the one hypothesis, namely, 
that the power evoked is that of the subjective mind of the 
medium, which is amenable to control by the mysterious 
power of suggestion. It is inconceivable that the spirit of 
Napoleon Bonaparte, who, when living, swayed the destin- 
ies of nations, used kings and popes as his puppets, and led 
his hosts to successful battle against the combined armies 
of Europe, should, when dead, shrink, abashed and power- 
less, in presence of some one man who happens not to 
believe in spiritism. But it can be readily understood how 
a stance should prove a failure when we assume that the 
power that moves the table or writes the communications 
is exercised by the subjective intelligence of the medium, 
and that the presence of an avowed sceptic operates as an 
ever-present and all-potent suggestion that the promised 
manifestations are impossible in his presence. It is in strict 
accordance with the universal law of suggestion that such 
should be the result. It is this constant amenability to con- 
trol by suggestion which always hampers mediums when 
they are giving test seances in the presence of sceptical in- 
vestigators ; and I undertake to say that no medium ever 
was, or ever can be, powerful enough to produce his phe- 
nomena under test conditions in presence of a hostile and 
aggressively sceptical investigating committee. It is no 
fault of the medium that this is the case, and it is no test 
whatever of the genuineness of his phenomena. But it is 
presumptive, if not conclusive, evidence that the source of 
his phenomena resides within himself, and hence is amen- 
able to the universal law which governs the action of all 
subjective intelligence and power. Neither is it any reflec- 
tion upon the sincerity of the investigator that he fails to 
witness the phenomena that have been promised. His 
ignorance of the law which governs the subject-matter, 
together with his desire to be frank and honest enough with 



7'HE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 2 1 1 

the medium to put him in possession of a knowledge of his 
sentiments and prejudices, leads him unwittingly to place 
an insuperable barrier in the way of success. It unfortu- 
nately happens that many professional mediums, despairing 
of success in producing the genuine phenomena, and more 
than ordinarily anxious to earn the reward of success, will, 
under such circumstances, resort to fraud and legerde- 
main. The temptation to do so is great when he reflects 
upon how much is at stake, the immediate monetary reward 
promised being the least consideration. His professional 
pride, his love of approbation, his hope of future fame and 
emolument in case he succeeds in convincing a sceptical 
scientific investigator, — all operate to constitute a tempta- 
tion too great to be always successfully withstood. Besides, 
he knows that, under favorable conditions, he can produce 
the genuine phenomena, that he has produced them again 
and again, and he quiets his conscience by reflecting that 
it can do no harm to resort to legerdemain to simulate that 
which he knows to have a genuine existence. 

In this connection it may be well to state what must 
already be _ obvious to the intelligent reader ; namely, that 
the only way to secure the production of genuine phe- 
nomena is, first, to secure the confidence of the medium by 
assuming to be in hearty sympathy with him, and by giving 
him to understand that you thoroughly believe in his hon- 
esty and his power to produce genuine phenomena. Give 
him all the time he wants, and assure him that you are in 
no hurry ; remembering always that quiet passivity and un- 
disturbed serenity of mind on the part of a medium is an 
indispensable prerequisite to success, not only in producing 
the phenomena, but in entering the subjective condition. 
It is precisely the same in this respect as it is in hypnotism. 
The condition of the medium, when in a trance or partial 
trance, is precisely the condition of a hypnotized person, 
and he is subject to the same laws, and the same conditions 
are necessary and indispensable to his success. Every 
hypnotist knows that it would be madness to antagonize a 
hypnotic subject by suggesting to him in advance that he is 



212 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

an impostor, or that hypnotic phenomena are mere humbug, 
and then expect to hypnotize him and produce the phe- 
nomena. When investigators realize this one fact they will 
have taken the primary lesson in spiritistic investigation. 
Every one who understands the first principles of hypnotism 
knows what folly it would be to subject the science to the 
test of allowing a sceptical investigator to take a subject in 
hand and begin the operation of trying to hypnotize him by 
assuring him that hypnotism is imposture, and all subjects 
are mere pretenders. And yet one who investigates hypno- 
tism in that way does, in effect, precisely what the sceptical 
investigator of spiritistic phenomena does when he avows 
his scepticism to the medium in advance. If investigators 
would observe the rule here suggested, and always endeavor 
to put the medium at his ease and accede to all the con- 
ditions prescribed by him, instead of insisting upon test 
conditions of their own devising, they would soon find that 
they would witness all the phenomena desired, and under 
conditions that preclude the possibility of fraud or leger- 
demain. Any other course almost of necessity defeats the 
object sought. 

It will be seen, therefore, that a failure to produce phe- 
nomena at a given time does not necessarily indicate fraud 
on the part of the medium ; and in strict justice to profes- 
sional mediums, who as a class have been brought into dis- 
repute by the fraudulent practices of some of their number, 
it must be said that the detection of a medium in fraudulent 
practices does not per se prove that he was consciously 
guilty ; for it is an undoubted fact that when a medium is 
unconscious ; and his subjective mind is in control, it often 
acts capriciously, and presumably fraudulent practices might 
be indulged in without the objective knowledge or consent 
of the medium. Therefore, until the laws governing the 
subject-matter are better understood, we should extend the 
broadest charity over the professional medium, except in 
cases where it is discovered that the paraphernalia neces- 
sary for the perpetration of fraud have been prepared by 
the medium in advance. 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 



213 



At this point the question will naturally be asked, " How 
can a medium, professional or otherwise, be entitled to 
credit for honesty, who represents himself as being able to 
hold communion with the spirits of the dead, or to be an 
instrument through which communications from spirits 
<5f the dead can be obtained, if, in point of fact, such 
communications have their origin wholly within his own 
personality? " 

This is perhaps the most pertinent and the most far- 
reaching question that could be formulated in regard to 
the hypothesis under consideration. If it could not be 
fairly answered from a purely scientific standpoint, our 
hypothesis would not be worthy of further discussion ; for 
it is simply impossible to presuppose that all the immense 
number of mediums, professional and private, who may 
be found in all ranks of society throughout the civilized 
world, are deliberately and consciously perpetrating a fraud 
upon mankind. On the contrary, I here take occasion 
to say that there is no system of religious belief which is 
so thoroughly fortified by facts as that of spiritism, when 
its phenomena are viewed from the standpoint of the inves- 
tigator who is unacquainted with the latest scientific dis- 
coveries in the domain of experimental psychology. But 
with that knowledge in possession, the evidential value of 
the phenomena of spiritism is vastly depreciated, and the 
high character of the medium for truth and sincerity loses 
all its weight as a factor in the case. 

The intelligent reader has already anticipated the answer 
to the foregoing question. It is simply this : that the sub- 
jective mind of the medium, being controlled by suggestion, 
believes itself to be the spirit of any deceased person whose 
name is suggested. It has been educated to that belief 
through the objective education and environment of the 
individual. It is, by the laws of its being, absolutely con- 
trolled by the objective belief of the medium, and the 
suggestions embraced in that belief. It is true that it often 
acts capriciously and independently, but it is always in 
pursuance of the auto-suggestion or belief of the medium 



214 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

that it is an extraneous and, therefore, an independent 
power. 

No one who has witnessed even the stage exhibitions of 
the phenomena of hypnotism will doubt the substantial truth 
of this proposition. An intelligent subject can be made to 
assume any number of characters, diverse as the antipodes, 
and in each one he will imitate the original in thought, 
word, and action with perfect fidelity, so far as he knows 
the character, habits, and idiosyncrasies of the individual 
personated, firmly believing himself to be the individual he 
represents. He may, with the same facility, be transformed 
into an angel or a devil or an animal ; and he will never 
doubt the truth of the suggestion, or fail to act the charac- 
ter suggested, so far as it is physically possible. These facts 
are well known to all hypnotists, as well as to all who witness 
the common stage exhibitions of the phenomena. Some 
stage hypnotists have much difficulty in preventing their 
subjects from exhibiting spiritistic phenomena on the plat- 
form. This was a common experience of Professor Cad- 
well, an American performer, who was himself a spiritist. 
When it became known to his audiences and subjects that 
the latter were liable to be " controlled by spirits," the trouble 
became very marked, and the professor was greatly annoyed 
by the frequency with which his subjects were seized upon 
by " passing spirits," and made to receive communications 
and perform other antics in the name of the spirits of their 
dead acquaintances. The phenomena exhibited through 
these subjects were identical with those shown through ordi- 
nary mediums, and indeed some of his best subjects after- 
wards became successful professional mediums. That the 
liability of the professor's subjects to lapse into- mediumship 
was the result of suggestion is shown by the fact that Pro- 
fessor Carpenter, who was Cadwell's pupil, and operated by 
his methods, and was in every sense his peer as an operator, 
never had any trouble with mediumistic phenomena, for the 
simple reason that he was careful to avoid suggesting the 
idea to his subjects that such a thing was possible. In point 
of fact it is well known to many hypnotists that all the phe- 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 21 5 

nomena of spiritism can be reproduced through their sub- 
jects by simply suggesting to them that they are under the 
control of spirits. Of course it may be said that the spirits 
do actually take possession of a hypnotic subject when per- 
mitted to do so, and that it is the genuine control of spirits 
after all. The answer to this is that it is also just as easy 
to obtain communications from a living person through a 
hypnotic subject as from a dead one, and from an imaginary 
person as from a real one, by merely making the proper 
suggestion. The same is true of any medium, for that mat- 
ter, as will presently be shown. 

It is obvious, therefore, that the universal law of sugges- 
tion operates upon the subjective mind of a medium with 
the same force and certainty as upon all others. He is in 
the subjective, or hypnotic, condition. The suggestion that 
he is about to be controlled by the spirits of the dead is 
ever present to his mind, and is all potent. It is a part of 
his education. It is his religious belief. No other expla- 
nation of the mysterious phenomena is known to him. He 
knows only that he is moved by a power, an intelligence, 
over which he exerts no conscious control. It gives utter- 
ance to thoughts beyond his comprehension, and possesses 
knowledge of matters of which he consciously knows nothing. 
His conclusion is, first that the intelligence is something 
extraneous to his personality, and secondly that it must be 
that of an inhabitant of another world. From his stand- 
point it is the only rational conclusion. His hereditary 
belief in the immortality of the soul confirms it. His read- 
ing of the Bible sanctions the belief in the power of spirits 
to hold communion with the living. His hope of a life 
beyond the grave, and his longing to hold communion with 
the loved and lost, combine to give his conclusions a wel- 
come reception in the chambers of his mind. 

A more potent suggestion was never forced upon the sub- 
jective mind of man than this ; and in obedience to the 
universal law, it must be believed by the medium's subjec- 
tive mind, and acted upon accordingly. And the subjective 
mind does believe the suggestion most implicitly. If it did 



2l6 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

not, the law of suggestion would have no place in experi- 
mental psychology, and all the conclusions deducible there- 
from would have to be revised. So believing, it follows that, 
when questioned, it will unhesitatingly affirm that it is the 
spirit of whatever person is suggested ; and so far as the 
medium knows the character or antecedents of the spirit 
invoked, that spirit will be personated with all the pre- 
ternatural acumen characteristic of subjective mental 
activity. 

If the chain of reasoning by which the medium and his 
friends have arrived at the conclusion that the phenomena 
must proceed from disembodied spirits seems to them to be 
perfect, their conviction rises to the dignity of a certainty, 
in their estimation, when the supposed spirit begins to for- 
ward alleged communications from the hypothetical border- 
land of another world. They find that his alleged " control " 
is able to tell them secrets which they supposed to be safe 
in their own custody, or perhaps only known to themselves 
and the deceased whose spirit has been invoked. He will 
describe the character and personal appearance of deceased 
persons whom it was impossible that he should have known 
in life, sometimes even giving their names and ages ; he will 
tell of incidents in their career known only to the person 
for whose benefit the communication is given. 

If the sitter is sceptical, and has learned something of 
telepathy, his ready objection is that all this is " mind- 
reading." But presently the medium will describe some 
one of whom the sitter has not thought for years, who was 
utterly unknown to the medium, and of whom he never 
heard. It is then that the sitter is confounded. His tele- 
pathic explanation is exploded, for he "was not thinking 
of the deceased at all ; it could not, therefore, be mind- 
reading," he declares, with all the enthusiasm of a new 
convert whose last objection has been answered. 

There is no more common or popular explanation of cer- 
tain phases of spiritistic phenomena than attributing them 
to mind-reading. When a medium relates to you incidents 
of your life of which you know he has no previous knowl- 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 2 1 J 

edge, the most obvious explanation is that he reads your 
mind, — that is, if you do not believe that he is controlled by 
spirits ; and you are undoubtedly right. But when he tells 
you of things that you had forgotten, and describes persons 
of whom you are not thinking, you jump to the conclusion 
that thought-reading does not explain that particular phe- 
nomenon. And it is just here that you make a mistake, for 
the reason that you do not understand the first principles 
of mind-reading. But when it is once understood that mind- 
reading is the communion of two subjective minds, and that 
the objective or conscious thoughts of the sitter have no 
necessary effect upon the character of the communications, 
it will be seen that the fact that the sitter was not con- 
sciously thinking of the person described, or had forgotten 
the incident recalled, has no evidential value whatever. The 
sitter may or may not be thinking consciously of the subject 
of the communication; he may even be endeavoring to 
cause the medium to speak of some particular one with 
whom he earnestly desires to communicate. It makes no 
difference whatever, for it is the uppermost thought of the 
subjective mind that is read, and of that the sitter has 
neither knowledge nor conscious control. That the me- 
dium relates incidents of the sitter's life which he had for- 
gotten until reminded of them, is not at all strange or 
unaccountable, when we remember that the memory of the 
subjective mind is perfect. Neither is there any evidential 
value in the fact that the sitter cannot remember an inci- 
dent related by the medium ; for he must remember that 
objective memory retains little, comparatively, of the inci- 
dents of life, while the subjective mind retains all. 

It will thus be seen that in order to explain the phe- 
nomena of spiritism on the hypothesis that it has its origin 
wholly within the sub-conscious mind of the medium, it ■ is 
not necessary to presuppose that he is dishonest or insincere 
when he attributes it to disembodied spirits. In the absence 
of knowledge on his part of the recent discoveries in psy- 
chological science, he has the best of reasons for so believ- 
ing, for up to the present time no other hypothesis has 



2l8 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

been advanced which will account for all the phenomena on 
any other rational supposition. But the two great laws — 
duality of mind and suggestion — clear away the greatest 
stumbling-block in the way of scientific investigation of this, 
the greatest problem of the ages. It is now no longer 
necessary to deny the phenomena, since they can all be 
accounted for on scientific principles, outside the domain 
of the supernatural. It is no longer necessary to consider 
the spiritual medium either a fool or an impostor, since the 
phenomena are genuine, and their explanation on scientific 
principles is impossible, except in the light of very recent 
discoveries in psychic science. 

Having set forth the fundamental principles underlying 
the production of so-called spirit phenomena, we will 
now proceed briefly to examine their various phases and 
leading characteristics, and to show how the hypothesis 
under consideration applies to each of them with the same 
force and pertinency as in the case of the other psychic 
phenomena which have been considered. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM (continued). 

Various Classes of Phenomena. — Clairvoyance. — Its Field not yet 
clearly defined. — Telepathy invades its Ancient Domain. — 
Simple Experiments in Telepathy. — Their Significance. — Tele- 
pathic Power in Mediums. — Telepathic Visions. — A Typical 
Seance. — Wonderful Exhibition of Telepathic Power. — An Af- 
fecting Interview of the Sitter with Himself. — Deductions. — 
Visions of Inanimate Things as well as of Deceased Persons. — 
Spirit of the Jack of Clubs. — Subjective Memory. — Spirit Iden- 
tity. — Allan Kardec's Observations. — His Illogical Conclusions. 
— His Supreme Test. — Telepathic Explanation. — Four Ways of 
explaining his Test Case. 

THERE are several ways by which the operations of the 
subjective mind can be brought above the threshold of 
consciousness. When this is done by any one of the va- 
rious methods, a phenomenon is produced. Each of these 
phenomena has been, at some time in the history of man- 
kind, attributed to the agency of disembodied spirits. 

The leading phenomena above alluded to are clairvoy- 
ance, clairaudience, telepathy, mesmerism, or hypnotism, 
automatic writing, percussive sounds (spirit-rapping), move- 
ment of ponderable bodies (table-tipping), and phantasmic 
appearances. 

Of these, clairvoyance, telepathy, and hypnotism have 
generally ceased to be regarded as proceeding from super- 
natural agencies. They are now recognized as powers 
inherent in mankind, and, as will be seen, are largely em 
ployed to explain other phenomena. 



220 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

Of clairvoyance little will be said, for the reason that it 
is still an open question among scientists who have been, 
and are still, investigating the subject, whether independent 
clairvoyance exists as a power of the human mind. Suffi- 
cient evidence has not been brought to my attention to 
demonstrate its existence. Certainly the great bulk of phe- 
nomena which are popularly regarded as evincing clairvoy- 
ant power must now be referred to telepathy. It must be 
said, however, that many phenomena have been produced 
which cannot at present be accounted for on any other 
hypothesis than that of independent clairvoyance. Yet it 
is not impossible that, when the laws of telepathy are better 
understood, all so-called clairvoyant phenomena may be 
referred to that agency. For the purposes of our argu- 
ment, however, it is not specially important that the dis- 
tinction should be clearly drawn between the two, inasmuch 
as telepathy, which is an undoubted power of the sub- 
jective mind, sufficiently explains all the so-called spirit- 
istic phenomena involving the perception by the medium 
of facts not within his own experience or his previous 
knowledge. I will therefore first treat of those phenom- 
ena the mysteries of which are directly and primarily re- 
ferable to telepathy. 

A very simple experiment will enable almost any one to 
demonstrate telepathic power. Let a person be securely 
blindfolded, by taking a pair of kid gloves, folding them 
into pads, placing them over his eyes, and binding them on 
by means of a handkerchief. Then let a circle be formed by 
a few persons, with their hands joined, the percipient forming 
one of the circle. Let a card be selected at random from 
a pack, taking care that no one sees any other card of the 
pack, even for an instant, until the experiment is over. 
Then place the card in plain sight of all but the percipient, 
and let them fix their minds and gaze upon the card, and 
in silence await the result. In the mean time the percipient 
should be and remain in a perfectly passive and tranquil 
frame of mind, and simply watch for visions. He will soon 
begin to see indistinct objects floating in the darkness, and 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 221 

these Qbjects will presently begin to form themselves into 
shapes more distinct. They may be evanescent, and disap- 
pear at intervals : but they will soon return in still more 
definite form, and will eventually assume some shape that 
will suggest the card selected. It may be that a vision of 
the whole card will be presented, exactly as it is, or it may 
be that there will be a sort of allegorical representation of 
it. For instance, in an experiment tried in presence of the 
author the ten of diamonds had been selected. Instead of 
seeing a vision of the card, there was an appearance of 
ten real diamonds, arranged in rows corresponding to the 
rows of spots on the card, each one sending forth rays of 
light and scintillations of color. As it was the first experi- 
ment the percipient had ever tried, he was at a loss to 
know the meaning, if it had any, of the vision ; but as it 
persisted in coming, he finally ventured to remark, hesitat- 
ingly, that he had an " impression of the ten of diamonds." 
The applause which followed told him that his subjective 
mind had conveyed to his consciousness by means of an 
allegorical vision the information it had telepathically re- 
ceived. It may here be remarked parenthetically that the 
subjective mind of man appears to be fond of allegory as a 
means of conveying its thoughts or information above the 
threshold of consciousness. The history of mankind is full 
of illustrations of this fact. 

When the next card was selected, the percipient saw the 
vision of a single heart spot floating in the darkness, unat- 
tached to anything like a card ; whereupon he ventured to 
name the ace of hearts, which was correct. In all, five 
cards were selected at this sitting, and each one was named 
correctly, with the exception of the last, which was the five 
of spades. The five of clubs was named ; but the percipi- 
ent explained his mistake by saying that one-half of each 
spot was concealed from his view, namely, the points of the 
spade spots, which appeared to be thrust into the darkness, 
so to speak, leaving only the handle end of the spades ex- 
posed to view. As that half of the spade spot corresponds 
exactly to the corresponding half of a club spot, the mis- 



222 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

take was natural, and was really of as great, if not greater, 
evidential value than if the card had been correctly named. 

Others of the company tried the same experiment, gener- 
ally without physical contact with any one else, and each 
one was able to name some of the cards correctly. But no 
one was able to name correctly a card which was not seen 
by some one else, — which showed clearly that the power to 
see the card resulted from telepathy, and not from inde- 
pendent clairvoyance. It should be here stated that there 
were six in the company, each one of whom tried the ex- 
periment, and each scored a sufficient number of successes 
to remove the result from the domain of coincidence. 

These experiments were as simple as could well be de- 
vised, and to the unreflecting mind may seem trifling. But 
I shall endeavor to show that they possess unmeasured 
significance. 

Before proceeding to do so, it may be well to state that 
visions resulting from telepathic communion are as varied 
as is the character of the communicants or the subjects of 
the messages. They are often seen by the percipient as 
plainly as the objective reality could be seen; and events 
are depicted by means of visions that re-enact the scenes, 
with all the characters and actors represented, as perfectly 
as the reality itself. 1 

It now remains to show how this faculty of reading 
the minds of others is unconsciously employed by spirit 
mediums to impart to their clients information regarding 
persons and events of which the medium has no previous 
knowledge. 

We will consider, for this purpose, the case of a medium 
who develops no physical phenomena, but who simply 
receives his visitor, tells him of the events of his past life, 
describes his spirit- friends, conveys oral communications 
from them, and occasionally drops into prophecy. The 
visitor may or may not be a professed believer in spirit- 

1 See " Phantasms of the Living," and the Proceedings of the 
London Society for Psychical Research, for full confirmation of this 
statement. 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 223 

ism; but the fact that he is there to consult a medium 
shows a faith sufficient for the purpose in view, and pro- 
pinquity places his subjective mind en rapport with that of 
the medium. We will suppose that this is the first time 
that the two have met, and that the medium is entirely 
unacquainted with the character, the antecedents, or the 
deceased friends of the sitter. The first thing that the 
medium does is to become wholly or partially self-hypno- 
tized. He may go into the state only partially, and appear 
to the visitor to be in his normal condition. He may, and 
probably does, believe that his " control " takes possession 
of his body and talks through him ; he has, as we have 
already seen, every reason for this belief. He is taken 
possession of by some unseen force, is guided by some 
unseen intelligence which possesses powers and attributes 
of which he is not conscious in his normal condition. He 
has no other hypothesis to account for the extraordinary 
manifestations of which that intelligence is the source. To 
make assurance doubly sure, the intelligence tells him that 
it is the spirit of some deceased person, and gives him a 
detailed and very plausible account of itself. He is forced 
to believe the statements of his subjective entity, for he 
knows no reason for believing otherwise, and it, in turn, is 
compelled by the laws of its being to believe itself to be 
what it represents ; for the suggestion has been made to it 
that it is the spirit of a deceased person. That suggestion 
having been made in a general way, to begin with, his sub- 
jective mind will proceed to fill in the details in some way 
with marvellous acumen, and with such logical circumstan- 
tiality of detail as to deceive " the very elect." It is just 
as it is in the case of a hypnotized person, who, in pur- 
suance of a post-hypnotic suggestion, having done som j 
absurd act, when questioned as to why he did it, will, on 
the instant, invent some reason so plausible that the act 
will seem perfectly natural to one who does not know its 
origin. 

Again, the subjective mind of the sitter is also controlled 
by a suggestion, more or less strong, that spirits of the dead 



224 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

are about to be invoked ; and it is also ready with its logical 
deductions from the premises suggested, and will perform 
its part in the seance with the same alacrity and acumen. 
Here, then, we have two subjective minds en rapport, and 
the telepathic conditions for a successful seance are estab- 
lished. The shrewd and successful medium usually begins 
by making some very complimentary remarks concerning 
the character and mental attributes of the sitter. This puts 
the latter at his ease, and gives him an exalted opinion 
of the good sense and judgment of the medium. Some in- 
cidents of the sitter's life may then be related, and his oc- 
cupation indicated. It will generally be done in terms such 
as indicate the fact that the medium obtains his impres- 
sions by means of visions. For instance, the writer once 
heard a medium in New York city describe the occupation 
of an examiner in the United States Patent Office. The 
two had never met before, and did not know of each other's 
existence ten minutes before the seance. Even the name 
of the sitter had been withheld from the medium, for the 
purpose of testing her telepathic powers, and for the further 
purpose of convincing one of those present that spirits of the 
dead had nothing to do with the manifestations. The mem- 
bers of the party introduced each other by fictitious names, 
and talked spiritism to the medium until " harmonious con- 
ditions " were established, when the seance began. " I see 
an immense building," she began, "with a great number of 
rooms in it. In one of these rooms I see you, seated at a 
large desk, with a great many papers upon it. I see drawings, 
apparently of machinery, spread out upon the desk before 
you. It seems to me that you must have something to do 
with patent rights." She was informed that her conjecture 
was thus far correct. It should here be remembered that a 
medium should always be encouraged by a frank acknowl- 
edgment when he is correct. It encourages him, puts him 
at his ease, and constitutes a suggestion that he is able to 
perceive the truth in reference to that particular person ; 
and, consequently, helps him to proceed correctly with other 
manifestations. 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 22$ 

" But," continued the lady, " this is not your only oc- 
cupation. I see you in your library at home, surrounded 
by books and manuscripts. You appear to be writing a 
book." 

She then went on to describe correctly all the bookcases 
and other furniture in the room, and then said, — 

" I see the pathway by which you have arrived at your 
present conclusion in reference to the subject of your book. 
It is all strewn with rubbish and weeds, all of which you 
have thrown aside. But you see a great light ahead, and 
are pursuing that with perfect confidence and steadiness of 
purpose." 

"Am I in the right path? " inquired the examiner. 

" I cannot tell, for I cannot perceive the subject on which 
you are writing. I think you are, however, for the light ahead 
seems so clear." 

After a pause she added, — 

" You are making one mistake. You think that you are 
doing it all yourself. But you are not. You are constantly 
guided by a great spirit." 

"Who is he?" was asked, with all. the greater interest 
because the gentleman was writing a book, and, like every 
other author, felt that he had perceived " a great light ; " 
moreover, if he was sure of anything connected with it, he 
was sure that he was doing it himself, without the aid of any 
spirit or spirits. " Give me the name of my spirit friend and 
guide," he added. 

" I cannot do that to-day," she replied, with the true com- 
mercial instinct of the professional medium ; " come to-mor- 
row, and I will try to give you the name." 

Accordingly, the same party visited her the next day, 
when she made every effort to obtain the name, but with- 
out success. It should be stated here that the lady was a 
slate-writing medium. Communication after communica- 
tion was written, but without signature, and all efforts to 
obtain the name were futile. Finally the gentleman said, 
in an aside apparently not intended for the ears of the 
medium, "I think I know who it is. It must be either 

i5 



226 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

A B [naming a living friend in Washington] , or my brother, 
C D [giving his own name]," for he had no brother, living 
or dead. Immediately a communication was written out, 
signed by the supposed spirit brother, announcing the fact 
that he, and he alone, was the inspiring power in charge 
of the literary work named, that he was the " guardian 
spirit " of the gentleman, over whom he was " constantly 
watching," etc. 

The emotions created by the affecting terms of the com- 
munication can be imagined when it is stated that all pres- 
ent, save the medium, knew that the name was that of the 
sitter, and that he never had a brother. But these emo- 
tions quickly gave place to wonder and admiration when it 
was discovered that the signature was an almost exact repro- 
duction of his own, with all its salient peculiarities faithfully 
reproduced. 

Comment upon this wonderful admixture of genuine 
telepathic power and conscious or unconscious fraud will 
not be indulged in, save to remark that the first day's pro- 
ceedings exhibited marvellous telepathic power under the 
most perfect test conditions. As to the second day's per- 
formance, it need only be said that if the communication 
had been from a genuine spirit, struggling in vain to remem- 
ber his own name, it shows that even spirits are controlled 
by the subtle power of suggestion ; for he had no hesitation 
in assuming the name of the sitter when that name was sug- 
gested, and he so completely identified himself with that 
person as to reproduce his signature with marvellous accu- 
racy. It may be said that a fraud was perpetrated upon 
the medium. To this the plea of guilty must be entered, 
together with a plea of extenuating circumstances, in that it 
was done in pursuit of scientific truth. Whether the inter- 
ests of truth were subserved, the reader must judge for him- 
self. To that end he must ask himself the question whether 
it is not more probable that this manifestation was of the 
subjective entity of the medium rather than of an indepen- 
dent, disembodied spirit. Conceding the inherent power in 
mankind to convey and receive telepathic communications, 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 227 

it must be evident that telepathy is a sufficient explanation 
of what occurred the first day. It is true that the medium 
thought that the information thus obtained was conveyed to 
her by disembodied spirits. But that does not change the 
facts j and when a phenomenon is explicable by reference 
to known natural laws, we have neither occasion nor logical 
right to seek an explanation in the realm of the supernatu- 
ral. The second day's performance is as easily explicable 
under the well-known laws of hypnotism. The medium was 
in a partially hypnotic state, her subjective mind was active 
and in control of her physical powers, and was necessarily 
perfectly amenable to control by suggestion from any source. 
In obedience to the law of auto-suggestion, it believed itself to 
V be a disembodied spirit. It acted in that capacity far enough 
^o write communications of the standard, indefinite charac- 
ter common to such productions, but could give no name, 
for the simple reason that there was no name to give, and 
none had been suggested. But the instant a name was sug- 
gested it seized upon it, and, in pursuance of the suggestion 
that it represented the sitter's brother, wrote just such a 
communication as the logic of the situation dictated, be- 
lieving, without a doubt, that it was actually the spirit of 
the deceased brother of the sitter. It may be asked why, 
if the medium was possessed of such wonderful telepathic 
power, did she not perceive the fact that she was being 
imposed upon, that the sitter was not sincere in his pro- 
fessions of a belief in spiritism, and that he had not a 
brother in the spirit-land. Simply because she was con- 
trolled by the universal law of suggestion, and the oral sug- 
gestions had been made that he was a believer, and that he 
had a brother deceased. If she had disbelieved the state- 
ment, it would have constituted an exception to the opera- 
tion of a natural and universal law, — a suspension, in fact, 
of the laws of nature. 

On the other hand, if we are to discard the foregoing ex- 
planation and hold that it was actually a disembodied spirit 
controlling the medium, we must presuppose a spirit with- 
out a name, or without sufficient intelligence to remember 



228 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

his name. Either supposition, if it does no violence to 
common-sense, is contrary to all the teachings of spiritists, 
who have led us to believe that the law of spirit-life is that 
of eternal progress ; that all truth stands revealed to the 
perception of the disembodied soul. It would cause one 
to lose confidence in his guardian angels if he were forced 
to believe that a short residence in the spirit-land could 
reduce the immortal mind to such a state of imbecility. 

This digression is indulged in for the purpose of illustra- 
ting the fact that one of the means by which telepathic 
impressions are conveyed from one to another is by visions. 
The percipient sees a vision representing the incident 
sought to be communicated by the agent. He sees the 
image of the object or person which the agent desires him 
to see. Thus, when a person consults a medium he gene- 
rally expects and desires to learn something of his deceased 
friends. The medium goes into the subjective condition 
for that purpose. The visitor's mind is full of anticipation 
and hope that he will be put into direct communication 
with the loved and lost. Presently the medium sees a 
vision of some person. He believes that he sees a spirit. 
He describes it, and it is found to correspond with one of 
the visitor's deceased friends. The visitor recognizes the 
description, and says so. He asks for the name, and it is 
given. Then the medium sees a vision representing some 
incident known only to the visitor and the deceased. He 
describes the incident, not, perhaps, as a vision which he 
sees, but as a statement of fact imparted to him by the 
spirit. The visitor very likely knows that the medium 
knew nothing of him or of the deceased before that 
hour. He is convinced that the medium has seen and 
conversed with the spirit of his dead friend, and he is 
a convert to spiritism from that moment. Now, has the 
medium actually seen a spirit, or has he merely read 
the sitter's subjective mind? Is there any more reason 
for supposing that he has seen a spirit of a dead man than 
there is for supposing that a mind-reader sees the spirit of 
the Jack of clubs when the image of that card is telepathed 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 



229 



to him? Obviously not. The conditions are precisely the 
same in both cases. The percipient sees the image of that 
which is in the mind of the agent. In the one case, it is 
a card ; in the other it is an individual. If it is the spirit 
of the individual that is seen in the one case, it is the 
spirit of the card that is seen in the other. In the case of 
the New York medium, did she see the spirit of the Patent 
Office, the spirits of the papers, the drawings, the desks, 
and the spirit of the examiner seated at the spirit of 
one of the desks, examining the spirits of the drawings 
and of the specifications? 

I repeat it, the percipient sees the image of that which is 
in the mind of the agent, and he never sees more than that, 
It often happens that the image of some one is seen, of whom 
the agent is not consciously thinking at the moment. This 
has been already explained, on the obvious ground that it is 
the subjective, or unconscious, mind of the agent that is read. 
It sometimes happens that some fact is related, some scene 
described, which the sitter cannot recall to mind, and he 
conscientiously declares that he never knew the fact related, 
nor witnessed the incident depicted. But when it is re- 
membered that the subjective mind of man retains all that 
he has ever seen, heard, or read, and that he retains com- 
paratively little in his objective recollection, it is extremely 
unsafe for him to declare that any one fact has never been 
known to him. It is merely negative evidence at best, and 
amounts only to a declaration that he does not recall the 
fact. When we consider how little we retain, in our objec- 
tive recollection, of what we have seen, heard, or read, we 
may well wonder that it does not oftener happen that so- 
called spirits tell us of circumstances which we do not re- 
member. On the whole, it may be safely assumed that no 
medium has ever yet been able to impart any information 
that is not known either to the medium or to some living 
person with whom he is en rapport. There is certainly 
nothing but the merest negative evidence, such as has been 
described, that such a thing ever happened. On the other 
hand, there is the strongest possible evidence to the con- 



23O THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

trary, in the fact that there is room for a doubt on that 
question. It is self-evident that if facts, known neither to 
the medium nor those surrounding him, — that is, facts not 
known to him nor obtainable by means of telepathy, — can 
be perceived or obtained by him from independent sources, 
the evidence of that fact would be thrust upon us from ten 
thousand different sources every hour. This is also nega- 
tive evidence, it is true, but it is all but conclusive. Thus, 
the question of spirit identity has given spiritists no end of 
trouble. Their ablest writers have sought in vain for a solu- 
tion of the question why it is that spirits constantly fail to 
give conclusive evidence of their identity by means which 
could not be referred to the knowledge of the medium or 
to telepathy. 

On this subject Allan Kardec, one of the ablest writers 
on the subject, discourses as follows : — 

" The identity of contemporaneous spirits is much more easily 
proved, — those whose character and habits are known ; for it 
is precisely these habits, which they have not yet had time to 
throw aside, by which they can be recognized." x 

This may be true ; but it is also true that where the 
"character and habits " of a supposed spirit are known to 
the medium, or to those who are in telepathic rapport with 
him, simulation of that character and those habits is per- 
fectly easy to the expert medium. The more generally the 
character and habits are known, the less evidential value is 
to be attached to their reproduction. 

Our author then proceeds : — 

" Without doubt the spirit can give the proofs if asked, but 
he does not always do so, unless it is agreeable to him, and 
generally the asking wounds him ; for this reason it should be 
avoided. In leaving his body the spirit has not laid aside his 
susceptibility ; he is wounded by any question -tending to put 
him to the proof. // is such questions as one would not dare to 
propose to him, were he living, for fear of overstepping the 
bounds of propriety ; why, then, should th^re be less regard 
after his death ? Should a man enter a drawing-room and de< 

1 Book on Mediums, pp. 331-2. 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 23 1 

cline to give his name, should we insist, at all hazards, that he 
should prove his identity by exhibiting his titles, under the pre- 
text that there are impostors ? Would he not, assuredly, have 
the right to remind his interrogator of the rules of good breed, 
ing ? This is what the spirits do, either by not replying or by 
withdrawing. Let us make a comparison. Suppose the as 
tronomer Arago during his life had presented himself in a 
house where no one knew him, and he had been thus addressed : 
* You say you are Arago ; but as we do not know you, please 
prove it by answering our questions • solve this astronomical 
problem ; tell us your name, your Christian name, those of your 
children, what you did such and such a day, at such an hour, 
etc.' What would he have answered ? Well, as a spirit he 
will do just what he would have done during his lifetime ; and 
other spirits do the same." 

The above is considered the best reason that can be 
given for the fact that spirits whose character and habits in 
life are not generally known, or not known to the medium 
or to those surrounding him, invariably refuse to give proofs 
of their identity. But is his comparison pertinent? I 
think not. It might be considered impertinent, nay, the 
very height of ill-breeding, if one should insist on proofs of 
identity when a stranger is casually introduced, or intro- 
duces himself, in a drawing-room. But let us make another 
comparison. Suppose a stranger — we, too, will say Arago 
the astronomer — calls us up by telephone, and makes a 
statement of the most transcendent interest and importance 
to us, — a statement which, if true, will change the whole 
course of our lives and our habits of thought. He states 
that his special mission is to make this portentous an- 
nouncement to us, and that his name is Arago, the astrono- 
mer. We know Arago the astronomer by reputation, but 
have never had the honor of his personal acquaintance. 
We know enough of him, however, to be certain that he 
would tell us the exact truth as he understood it ; and we 
would stake our dearest interests upon a statement of his 
regarding that about which he professed to have positive 
personal knowledge. Under such circumstances would it 
be likely to wound his feelings or shock his sense of pro- 



232 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

priety if we should reply through the telephone something 
like this : — 

" Sir, your message is of portentous import to us, and 
we cannot hesitate to believe it if we can be assured that 
you are Arago the astronomer, as you represent. We can 
hear you, but we cannot see you, and you are not vouched 
for by any one we know. Please give us some proof of your 
identity." 

Would Arago the astronomer, or any other sensible man, 
wrap himself in the mantle of offended dignity and treat us 
with silent contempt, or remind us of " the rules of good- 
breeding"? Certainly not, especially if the object of his 
existence was to make the communication, not only for our 
individual benefit, but for the purpose of giving to all man- 
kind that direct and positive assurance, that tangible evi- 
dence, for which all humanity has sought in vain since the 
dawn of creation. 

Our author then continues : — 

"While spirits refuse to answer puerile and impertinent 
questions which a person would have hesitated to ask during 
their lives, they often spontaneously give irrefutable proofs of 
their identity by their character, revealed in their language, by 
the use of words that were familiar to them, by citing certain 
facts, — particularities of their life sometimes unknown to the 
assistants, and whose truth has been verified. Proofs of identity 
will spring up in many unforeseen ways, which do not present 
themselves at first sight, but in the course of conversations. It 
is better, then, to wait for them, without calling for them, ob- 
serving with care all that may flow from the nature of the 
communications. (See the fact given, No. 70.) " 

Turning now to page 82 of the volume, we find the state- 
ment above alluded to, and it reads as follows : — 

" On a vessel of the Imperial French navy, stationed in the 
Chinese seas, the whole crew, from the sailors up to the staff- 
major, were occupied in making tables talk. They hit upon the 
idea of invoking the spirit of a lieutenant of this same vessel, 
some two years dead. He came, and after various communica- 
tions, which astonished every one, he said, by rapping, what fol- 
lows-: ' I pray you instantly to pay the captain the sum of (he 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 233 

mentioned the sum), which I owe him, and which I regret not 
having been able to repay before my death.' No one knew the 
fact ; the captain himself had forgotten the debt, — a very small 
one ; but on looking over his accounts, he found there the lieu- 
tenant's debt, the sum indicated being perfectly correct. We 
ask, of whose thought could this be the reflection ? " 

Here, then, we find the supreme test applied, — the best 
conditions possible, as prescribed by one of the ablest and 
most thoughtful writers on the subject. It will be observed 
that he is not blind to the possibilities of telepathy, and 
counts it as a factor in the case. " Of whose thought could 
this be the reflection ?" he asks triumphantly. "No one 
knew the fact ; the captain himself had forgotten the debt." 
It must be admitted that if this test is conclusive, their 
case has been proved a thousand times over. But in view 
of what is now known of the laws of telepathy, it is self- 
evident that it proves nothing. Telepathy, as we have 
again and again repeated, is the communion of two or more 
subjective minds. It is not that of which we are con- 
sciously thinking that the subjective mind of the medium 
perceives. Doubtless the captain had forgotten, objec- 
tively, all about the loan. It was a very small amount, and 
the- lieutenant had been dead two years. But the subjec- 
tive mind of the captain, which remembers all things, great 
and small, could not forget it, and it was telepathed to the 
subjective mind of the medium. Besides, there was another 
very potent agency at work to bring this loan into promi- 
nence. We have already seen, in former chapters, that the 
normal function of the subjective mind is to watch over and 
protect the Jife_of the individual. It is the strongest in- 
stinct of all animate nature. The protection of the material 
interests of the individual is as much a part of the function 
of the subjective mind as the protection of his life. Indeed, 
the promotion of the one is but a means to secure the 
other. It was, therefore, simple obedience to the first law 
of nature that prompted the subjective mind of the captain 
to thrust this loan upon the attention of those present and 
thus secure its payment. 



234 THE LAW 0F PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

It may be said, however, that there was no evidence that 
the captain was present at the seance ; and it may be as- 
sumed by some that telepathic communion with his mind 
was impossible in his absence from the circle. The former 
supposition is possibly correct, but the latter is not probable, 
in view of the well-known facts of telepathy. But assuming 
both to be true, — that the captain was absent from the 
immediate circle, and that the circumstance would prevent 
telepathic communion with his mind, — there still remain 
two or three other ways of accounting for the phenomenon. 
In the first place, it is extremely probable that the captain's 
accounts were kept by a subordinate, who was present, and 
who, subjectively at least, remembered the account. It is 
distinctly stated that all the subordinates were present, 
" from the sailors up to the staff-major." This would neces- 
sarily include the one whose duty it was to keep the books. 
His subjective mind would be just as available as that of 
the captain for the production of what, in those days, was 
considered a test case. Again, supposing that the entry of 
the account was made by the captain's hand, it is extremely 
probable that some one else had access to the books ; and 
however superficially the knowledge was impressed upon 
his consciousness, it was forever fixed upon the tablets of 
his subjective memory, and was instantly available for use 
when a test case was needed. To those who regard inde- 
pendent clairvoyance as an established principle, or faculty, 
of the human mind, the explanation is easy ; for there 
would be no difficulty in supposing the mind of the inde- 
pendent clairvoyant to be capable of taking cognizance of 
all that was to be found in the ship's records. 

It is extremely improbable, however, that any third party 
figured in the transaction, or that it is necessary to assume 
that any third party knew of the loan. It is sufficient to 
know that the captain was aboard the ship, and that every- 
one on the vessel was necessarily en rapport with him. 
Besides, if any one in the circle was in telepathic rapport 
with the captain, it would be an all-sufficient explanation of 
the phenomenon ; for it is well known that specific infor- 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 235 

mation, not known to any one in the circle, can be obtained 
from some one having the knowledge who happens to be 
en rapport with any person in the circle. 

Thus it will be seen that there are at least four ways of 
accounting for the phenomenon, on well-established prin- 
ciples, without the necessity of resorting to the assumption 
of supernatural agencies. 

The subtle role which telepathy plays in so-called spirit 
manifestations must now be apparent. It is not only in 
the class of phenomena to which we have alluded that its 
power is manifest, but it reappears in all classes and phases 
of phenomena popularly attributed to spirits. The greater 
part of the mystery which surrounds these manifestations, 
aside from the purely physical phenomena, is directly trace- 
able to telepathy; and it explains that which, without its 
aid, would be inexplicable on any other hypothesis than 
that the manifestations proceed from disembodied spirits. 

In concluding the discussion of this branch of the subject, 
I desire distinctly to impress upon the mind of the reader 
an important proposition which seems to have been lost 
sight of by many who are otherwise inclined to give full 
credit to telepathy as a means of explaining many so-called 
spirit phenomena. It is this : — 

// is not necessary that any member of a circle should be 
in possession of objective knowledge of a fact in order to be 
able to communicate it telepathically to the medium. 

The reason will be obvious, after a moment's reflection, 
to any one who admits the existence of the power of tel- 
epathy. If the power is possessed by A to communicate 
a telepathic message to B, it follows that B can communi- 
cate the same message to C, and C can convey it to D, 
and so on, ad infinitum. This proposition will not be 
gainsaid by any one who admits that A can convey a tel- 
epathic message to B. D may have no objective knowl- 
edge of A or of B, but is en rapport with C. Now, we 
will suppose that a disaster happens to A. He is missing ; 
he is drowned ; but no one possesses any objective knowl- 
edge of the fact, and his friends institute a vain search, no 



236 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

one having the remotest idea of what has happened to him. 
B, his mother, receives a telepathic message, conveyed by 
A at the moment of his death to her subjective mind, in- 
forming her of the sad accident. But not being sensitive 
to subjective impressions, it is impossible for her subjec- 
tive mind to convey the message above the threshold of 
her consciousness. She is, therefore, objectively ignorant 
of the fact, although her subjective mind is fully cogni- 
zant of all its sad details. In the mean time, C, a sympa- 
thetic neighbor, en rapport with B, subjectively perceives 
that which is so strongly impressed upon the subjective mind 
of the mother. C is also unable to elevate the knowledge 
above the threshold of her consciousness ; but she is a be- 
liever in spiritism, and volunteers to visit a neighboring city 
and consult a medium. She does so ; and the moment she 
becomes en rapport with the medium, the telepathic mes- 
sage is delivered, and the medium perceives, objectively 
as well as subjectively, the details of the disaster which 
befell A. He describes the whole transaction, and locates 
the exact spot where the body may be found. Subsequent 
investigation demonstrates the exact knowledge possessed 
by the medium, for the whole environment is found to be 
exactly as described, and the body is found in the very 
spot indicated. 

Now, the spiritists say that this occurrence cannot be 
explained by reference to telepathy, for the reason that D 
was not en rapport with A, nor with B. Nor was C en 
rapport with A, for the latter was dead before C could 
have become cognizant of the facts. The obvious answer 
to this is, as before indicated, that if the power exists in 
man to convey a telepathic message to his fellow-man, it 
presupposes the existence of the power in the percipient 
to repeat the message to a third person, and so on indefi- 
nitely, until some one receives it who has the power to 
elevate the information above the threshold of his con- 
sciousness, and thus convey it to the objective intelligence 
of the world. Nor is the element of time necessarily 
an adverse factor in the case; for there is no reason to 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 2$ J 

suppose that such messages may not be transmitted from 
one to another for generations. Thus, the particulars of a 
tragedy might be revealed many years after the event, and 
in such a way as to render it difficult, if not impossible, to 
trace the line through which the intelligence was transmitted. 
For the spiritist the easy and ever-ready explanation of such 
a phenomenon is to ascribe it to the intervention of spirits 
of the dead. But to those who have kept pace with the de- 
velopments of modern scientific investigation, and who are 
able to draw the legitimate and necessary conclusions from 
the facts discovered, the explanation is obvious, without the 
necessity of entering the domain of the supernatural. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM (continued). 

Psychometry. — ■" The Souls of Things." — Professor Denton's Experi- 
ments. — Wonderful Visions of the Ancient Environment of Geo- 
logical Specimens. — A Piece of Mortar from Cicero's House. — 
Supposed Scientific Tests. — Explanation on Telepathic Principles. 

— Experiments in Hypnotism compared. — Clairvoyance and 
Telepathy. — Their Boundary Lines in Transit. — Clairaudience. 

— Definitions of the Term. — Socrates and his Daemon. — Modern 
Instances. — Mental Impressions. — Premonitions. — Their Un- 
reliability. — Remarkable Examples of Clairaudience. — A Law- 
yer's Experience. — Subject to the Law of Suggestion. — Insanity 
sometimes results from Ignorance of the Cause. — Practical 
Suggestions. 

HPHERE is another class of phenomena which has at- 
*■ tracted a great deal of public attention, and which 
demands a passing notice in this connection. It is that 
class which has received an exhaustive treatment in the 
work of the late Professor Denton, entitled " The Souls of 
Things." It has been denominated " psychometry," which 
may be defined as the supposed power of the human mind 
to discern the history of inanimate objects by clairvoyance. 
Many wonderful stories are related of the exercise of this 
supposed faculty, under the strictest test conditions, as test 
conditions were then understood. Professor Denton made 
a long series of experiments with his sister, his wife, and 
some others who were supposed to possess that power in a 
remarkable degree. The powers of his wife and sister were 
indeed wonderful ; but, as we shall see, not in the line in 
which the experiments were directed. It must be pre- 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 239 

mised that the professor was a very learned man, not only 
in his specialty, which was geology, but in all branches of 
human knowledge. His wife and sister were also highly 
cultivated women, and were specially interested in those 
branches of learning in which the gifted professor excelled. 
Thus the conditions were extremely favorable for the pro- 
duction of extraordinary results in whatever branch of 
occult science they might jointly engage. 

It was the habit of the professor to select some geologi- 
cal specimen, or a fragment of some historical structure, 
and submit it to his percipient for her version of its history. 
She would readily enter a partially subjective condition, 
place the relic on her head, and at once give a very plau- 
sible, and oftentimes a most wonderfully accurate, history 
of the scenes which had been enacted within its former 
environment. Thus, if the object happened to be a geo- 
logical specimen, she would launch out into a glowing 
description of its surroundings when found, and going back 
into its history before the earth's crust was formed, trace it 
down through the different geological changes until she 
landed it in the professor's cabinet. Again, a piece of mor- 
tar from the dwelling of Cicero would be handed to her, and 
she would give a vivid description of the domestic life of 
those who had occupied the mansion, and describe historic 
events which " might have been seen " from the ancient 
habitat of the piece of mortar. It is easy to see how all 
this might be accomplished, and all the known facts stated 
with accuracy, regarding the geological environment of the 
piece of stone in her hands, when her own geological learn- 
ing was taken into consideration. But the professor was 
not unmindful of so obvious an explanation of her power. 
To eliminate that element was his first care. To that end 
he would wrap the specimen in a piece of paper, and care- 
fully conceal its character from her objective knowledge. 
The result was always the same. She would read the his- 
tory of the specimen with the same apparent accuracy 
as before. The professor, however, did not forget the 
possibility that telepathy was an element necessary to be 



240 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

eliminated. The possibility that she might read what was 
in his own mind must, therefore, be provided against. To 
that end he wrapped a large number of specimens in pack- 
ages as nearly alike as possible, and mixed them together 
so that it was impossible for him to know them apart. One 
specimen after another would then be handed her, and 
each one would be described with the same accuracy as 
before. This was considered the supreme test, and the 
doctrine that "things," in common with men, have "souls," 
was thought to be demonstrated. The Orientalists would 
say that he had demonstrated that the history of all things 
is "recorded in the astral light," whatever that may be. 
The spiritist would say that the spirits of dead men had 
given her the information. 

The true explanation is obvious to those who are ac- 
quainted with the facts of telepathy. The professor was an 
eminent geologist and a classical scholar. In his subjective 
mind was the history of every geological specimen in his 
possession, pictured clearly and vividly, according to the 
theories of the best geologists of his generation. His im- 
agination carried him back to the time when chaos reigned 
supreme. He followed the fragment of rock down through 
all the changes which took place in the earth's structure, 
until it became a part of the solid mass of rock from which 
it was taken. In the ever-changing environment of that 
fragment, since the time when it was a part of a vast mass 
of molten matter, there was material for pictures of the sub- 
limest scenes incident to the formation of a world. Those 
pictures, to the imagination of every geologist worthy of the 
title, are ever present and intensely vivid. A fragment of 
rock to him is an open book, in which are recorded the 
history of the sublimest works of Omnipotence, and his 
imagination supplies the panoramic illustrations. In ex- 
periments such as have been described, these pictures 
are necessarily presented to the subjective mind of the 
percipient in a form so clear and vivid that she would 
be insensate indeed if she failed to describe them in 
appropriate terms. And when we consider the fact that 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 24 1 

the percipients employed in these experiments were ex- 
ceptionally cultivated women, especially interested in the 
subjects of the professor's research, it will be seen that 
successful telepathic experiments were to them exception- 
ally easy. 

The successful reading of the history of the specimens 
submitted to the percipients is therefore easily accounted 
for where the professor had conscious knowledge of the 
contents of the packages. It remains only to explain the 
reason of success when he sought to eliminate that element 
by submitting a large number of similar packages, not con- 
sciously knowing one from the other. This also is easy to 
understand when the extraordinary acumen of the subjective 
mind is considered. It is a common hypnotic experiment 
to draw a blank card from a package, hand it to a subject, 
and suggest that it contains a picture of some person. The 
card is then marked on the back and shuffled with fifty or 
more others. A good subject will, in nine cases out of ten, 
indicate the marked card as the one containing the sug- 
gested picture, and that without the possibility of seeing the 
mark on the other side. It is obviously a much easier feat 
to remember the differences in packages than in blank 
cards. Of the former, no two could possibly be alike. Of 
the latter, no two would ordinarily be sufficiently unlike to 
enable one to determine the difference by the unaided 
senses. But to the subjective mind the feat of remember- 
ing each package and its contents would be very easy, 
compared with thousands of recorded instances to be found 
in the literature of psychic phenomena. 

It will be observed that we have refrained from invoking 
the aid of clairvoyance to account for the phenomena ot 
psychometry. It would be a much simpler solution of the 
problem to assume that the power of independent clair- 
voyance exists, and that the percipients simply saw the con- 
tents of the packages. But inasmuch as the known facts 
of telepathy afford a perfect solution, we are not logically 
justified in entering a domain which is in the slightest 
degree overshadowed by doubt. By this remark it is not 

16 



242 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

meant to imply that there is any doubt of the existence of a 
power which is generally known as clairvoyance, but that 
its limitations are as yet undecided. That is to say, the 
boundary line between clairvoyance and telepathy is not at 
present clearly drawn. The field of clairvoyance is con- 
stantly narrowing its boundaries. Thus, a few years ago 
every perception of a fact not cognizable by the senses 
was attributed either to clairvoyance or to spirits. Sceptics 
on the latter subject were wont to explain certain phenomena 
by attributing them to the former. The phenomena which 
could not thus be explained were relegated to the domain 
of fraud and legerdemain. When the phenomena of tele- 
pathy became better understood, the field of clairvoyance 
was greatly narrowed, as it was found that most of the phe- 
nomena before explained by clairvoyance w r ere really due to 
telepathic communion. But the powers and limitations of 
telepathy are not yet clearly marked ; and it is found that 
every step in advance in the knowledge of its principles by 
just so much narrows the field of clairvoyance. No better 
illustration of this fact could be given than the phenomena 
of psychometry, which we have just been considering. The 
power to read the history of a geological specimen with a 
plausible show of accuracy was first attributed to clairvoy- 
ance. As telepathic powers began to be understood, it was 
thought that possibly the percipient simply related what 
was read in the mind of the agent. Many experiments 
were made throughout the country which demonstrated 
that fact, and the recognized field of clairvoyance was 
thereby curtailed. But Professor Denton determined to 
eliminate the element of telepathy by so disposing of his 
relics as to divest himself of all knowledge of the particu- 
lar one under examination. When the percipient exhibited 
the same powers of discernment under those circumstances 
it was thought that the element of telepathy was elim- 
inated, and that the power of clairvoyance was demon- 
strated. But as the knowledge of telepathy is increased, 
and when it is understood that telepathy is the communion 
of subjective minds, and that the subjective mind is endowed 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 243 

with transcendent powers in certain directions, while it 
is hedged about with limitations in others, it is seen that 
the professor did not succeed, as he had supposed, in 
eliminating the element of telepathy. Thus the field of 
clairvoyance is again curtailed, and that of telepathy corre- 
spondingly enlarged. It may be assumed, therefore, that 
the boundary lines between the two supposed powers are 
still unmarked. In the mean time it is unsafe to assume 
any one point as the boundary, or even to assume that there 
is, in fact, any line at all. Judgment must be suspended 
until telepathy is better understood. All that can be safely 
said is that there are facts which cannot as yet be explained 
on any other hypothesis than that of independent clairvoy- 
ance. When we come across such a fact we may pro- 
visionally assume the power to exist, and await the slow 
progress of experimental knowledge to enable us to classify 
the fact in accordance with its legitimate relations. It is 
logically safe to do this as long as we thus avoid the neces- 
sity of wholesale denials of demonstrated facts on the one 
hand, and on the other refrain from entering the domain of 
the supernatural in search of a hypothesis. 

It is thought that enough has now been said to explain 
the part which telepathy plays in the phenomena which have 
been considered, and also to enable the intelligent reader 
to apply the principles to all other classes of phenomena in 
which telepathy constitutes a possible factor. It is con- 
stantly reappearing in every phase of psychic phenomena, 
and constitutes a factor in every manifestation of intelligent 
power involving the perception of that which is beyond 
the reach of the senses. 

CLAIRAUDIENCE. 

The next subject in order is that of clairaudience, or 
" clear hearing." It is a faculty of the human mind much 
more rarely developed than that of clairvoyance, — that is, 
if we assume the latter to be identical with telepathy, which 
we may do for the purposes of this discussion. 






244 THE LAW 0F PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

The Century Dictionary defines clairaudience as " the 
supposed power of hearing in a mesmeric trance sounds 
which are not audible to the ear in the natural waking 
condition." 

This, as far as it goes, is a correct definition of that faculty ; 
but it defines a very small part of its field of operations, 
and that part which is of the least importance. It may be 
defined, broadly, to be " the power of hearing the spoken 
words of a human soul." In other words, it is that fac- 
ulty of man's intelligence which enables his objective mind 
to receive communications from his own subjective mind 
or from that of another by means of spoken words. It 
is one means of bringing the operations of the subjective 
mind above the threshold of consciousness. The power 
is by no means confined to persons in a mesmeric trance, 
although it seems probable that one must be in a partially 
subjective state to enable him to hear clairaudiently. The 
degree of subjectivity may be very slight, so that the per- 
cipient may seem to himself and others to be in a perfectly 
normal condition. The sounds — if that may be called 
sound which does not cause atmospheric vibrations — are 
perfectly distinct to the consciousness of the percipient, but 
are not perceptible to others who may be near him and in 
the normal condition. 

Like all other means for bringing the operations of the 
subjective mind above the threshold of consciousness, the 
sounds have from time immemorial been attributed to 
supernatural agencies. Socrates furnished the most notable 
example in ancient or modern times of a man whose sub- 
jective mind was able at any time to communicate mes- 
sages to his objective mind by means of spoken words. It 
is well known that he supposed himself to be constantly at- 
tended by a daemon, or guardian spirit, who watched over 
him and warned him of any danger that was imminent. 
(See Chapter X. for a fuller discussion of Socrates and his 
daemon.) The biblical student will recall to mind many 
instances where voices were heard, conveying intelligence 
of the most portentous character, and a critical examination 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 



245 



of some of the instances will not fail to reveal their true 
nature. 

Many spiritual mediums of the present day have the fac- 
ulty largely developed. Some of them are enabled to ob- 
tain the names of their sitters by hearing them spoken 
clairaudiently, and the names of supposed spirits are ob- 
tained in the same way. It is popularly supposed that the 
ordinary method of telepathic communion, when the mes- 
sage is not brought above the threshold of consciousness, 
is by mental impressions. It is, of course, impossible for 
us to know the processes employed in the ordinary com- 
munion of subjective minds. It seems probable, however, 
that it is by means of such language as is employed by the 
communicants in objective life. All that is or can be known 
is, that when the ideas are communicated to the conscious 
mind, it is necessarily by such means as can be under- 
stood, — that is, by means which appeal to the senses. It 
is true that the subjective mind is often able strongly to 
impress the objective mind, especially when danger to the 
person is imminent, or when some near relative or dear 
friend is in danger. Such impressions are known as pre- 
monitions. Sometimes they are so strong as to be of real 
service in averting danger. But they are not always reli- 
able, for the reason that we are seldom able to distinguish a 
real premonition from that feeling arising from fear and 
anxiety regarding the welfare of those who are absent and 
very dear to us. Thus, a mother will often feel that she 
has a premonition of danger to an absent child, but will 
afterwards learn that her fears were groundless. Perhaps 
at another time a real premonition will be disregarded. It 
seems probable that when the laws of subjective mental 
action are better understood, there may be some method 
formulated by which a genuine premonition may be recog- 
nized. It is certain that in all cases where danger to the 
person is imminent, the subjective mind makes a supreme 
effort to give warning and avert the danger. That being its 
normal function, its highest activity is exercised in the 
effort to preserve the life of the individual. It is some- 



246 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

times successful, and sometimes not ; but that the effort is 
always made does not admit of doubt. Sometimes it suc- 
ceeds by means most extraordinary, — clairaudience not 
infrequently being the means of receiving the warning. 
Thus, a lady once confessed to the writer that she at one 
time, in a fit of despondency arising from ill health, at- 
tempted to commit suicide. She had raised a pistol to her 
head and was about to fire, when she heard an explosive 
sound, apparently in the same room, resembling a pistol- 
shot. This caused her to pause for an instant, when she 
heard the words, apparently spoken in her ear, " Not now ; 
you have two years yet ! " Surprise caused her to lower 
the pistol, and reflection caused her to desist, and finally to 
abandon the idea of suicide. As the two years have not 
yet expired, it is too early to know whether it is a case of 
prevision as well as of clairaudience. 

One of the most remarkable cases of clairaudient warning 
against danger that has ever come under the observation of 
the writer occurred near Washington a short time ago. A 
well-known colored preacher was aboard a train on its way 
to the city. He was dozing in his seat a few miles out, 
when he was suddenly awakened by a cry of " Wreck ! 
wreck ! " apparently sounding in his ears. He thought for 
a moment that he had been dreaming ; but after he was 
fully awake he again heard the same words repeated three 
times. As he happened to be the only occupant of the car, 
he knew that no one was playing a trick upon him, and he 
instantly became panic-stricken, and rushed to the rear end 
of the car and jumped off, although the train was going at 
the rate of thirty miles an hour. He was somewhat cut and 
bruised, but managed to walk to the next station, where he 
related his adventure to my informant. Little importance 
was attached to the circumstance at that time, as his train 
passed to the city in safety. But the very next train that 
passed over the road in the same direction was wrecked by 
the falling of a large rock upon it as it passed. The rock 
overhung the track, and had evidently become loosened by 
the vibrations caused by passing trains. Subsequent inves- 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 247 

tigation by my informant revealed the fact that the old 
preacher had leaped from the train but a short distance 
beyond the scene of the wreck. 

Now, it may be asked, how do we connect the clairau- 
dient warning of the old man with the wreck which did not 
occur to his train? It must be admitted that the circum- 
stances do not constitute an ideally perfect case of a life 
saved by a clairaudient reception of warning ; but it must 
also be held that the case is of all the greater evidential 
value for that very reason. It is easy to perceive how the 
old man's subjective mind perceived the danger, when it 
is once admitted that it possesses the power to see that 
which is not within the range of objective vision. Ever 
alert for the safety of the individual, it perceived the dan- 
ger, no matter how. It saw the condition of the overhang- 
ing rock, and believed that that train would loosen its hold. 
In the mean time the old man was in that passive, somnolent 
condition most favorable for the reception of subjective 
impressions or communications. He happened also to be 
clairaudient, and therefore in the best possible condition 
for the conveyance of subjective messages above the thresh- 
old of consciousness. And the message was delivered in 
the most effective way possible, — in the same way in which 
Socrates was again and again warned of impending danger. 
That the catastrophe did not happen to his train proves 
only that the intelligence which gave the warning was 
finite, that its knowledge was circumscribed by the limita- 
tions of human judgment, and that it did not proceed from 
Omniscience. 

It may be here remarked that this incident seems difficult 
to explain on any other hypothesis than that of independent 
clairvoyance. To explain it on the principle of telepathy 
would involve the necessity of presupposing that some per- 
son or persons knew of the dangerous situation of the rock, 
and that they were in telepathic rapport with the percipient. 
Either supposition seems improbable, although not impos- 
sible. Be this as it may be, the fact remains that the sub- 
jective mind of man has some means of reaching out beyond 



248 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

the range of our faculties of objective perception, and of 
knowing when and where danger threatens the individual. 
That it is constantly on the alert for that purpose, is also 
certain. 

But its efforts are not directed exclusively to the protec- 
tion of the body from harm. It is also on the alert for the 
protection of the material interests of the individual, and for 
the advancement of whatever aims and objects he has in 
life. These objects are, of course, subsidiary to the main 
one, being means to the end in view, — namely, the preser- 
vation of human life. One of the most eminent lawyers 
in the United States informs me confidentially that he is 
often guided, in critical emergencies, by a voice which 
gives him in a single, concise sentence the key to the situa- 
tion. All the years of his adult life this voice has warned 
him of impending danger, and guided him to the attain- 
ment of the objects of his ambition. He did not, in early 
life, entertain any well-denned theory on the subject of the 
origin of the voice, but has always been guided by its 
monitions, and never to his disadvantage. Of late years, 
however, he has become convinced of its true source, and 
now regards his faculty as of the most transcendent interest 
and scientific importance, to say nothing of its value as a 
personal mentor. 

It seems probable that the faculty might be cultivated to 
an unlimited extent, provided its true source could be re- 
cognized early in life and its monitions heeded. It is also 
probable that most people have occasionally heard clairaudi- 
ently, though but few have paid attention to the phenome- 
non ; and those who have done so have either attributed it to 
imagination, or regarded it as a subjective hallucination. In 
either case the auto-suggestion would necessarily prevent 
the development of the faculty. It sometimes happens, 
however, that spirit mediums develop the faculty to a re- 
markable extent. As they attribute the phenomena to 
extraneous sources, the suggestion necessarily results in 
corresponding phenomena. It is needless to remark that 
the same law of suggestion which prevails in the production 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 249 

of other phenomena governs the character of clairaudient 
manifestations. Thus, if the suggestion is entertained that 
the voice proceeds from a disembodied spirit, or from the 
guardian angel of the percipient, the character suggested 
will be assumed by the subjective entity, and future com- 
munications will be conducted on that basis. It may thus 
be made to assume the character of an angel or of a devil, 
just as the suggestion happens to be made. The suggestion, 
in the present state of knowledge on the subject of psychic 
phenomena, must depend altogether upon accident, or the 
education and habits of thought of the individual. 

Doubtless, many persons have been made insane by con- 
stantly hearing what they supposed to be spirit voices. Not 
knowing the true origin of the phenomenon, they endow 
it with whatever character happens to suggest itself, and 
it readily assumes to be whatever is suggested ; or it may 
assume a dozen different characters, if the person hap- 
pens to imagine their existence. The effect can readily 
be conceived when one is persuaded that he is beset by 
supernatural beings. Insane people are often seen to be 
engaged in conversation with some imaginary person, and 
when we say of such a soliloquist, " He is talking to him- 
self," we are wiser than we think ; for that is the fact. 
But the individual thought he was in conversation with 
supernatural beings. We are accustomed to regard such 
conversations as symptoms of insanity, whftreas they are 
oftentimes the cause of insanity. The patient for some 
reason develops the faculty of clairaudience. He imagines 
that the voice proceeds from some extraneous source. His 
superstition causes him to ascribe it to spirits. He con- 
stantly develops the faculty by practice, until he becomes 
a monomaniac on the subject. His subjective mind, domi- 
nated by an all- potent, but false, suggestion, gradually ob- 
tains control of the objective faculties, and Reason abdicates 
her throne. The man is insane, just as all men are insane 
who allow their subjective minds to obtain the ascendency. 
This is, of course, an extreme case ; but it is less rare than 
many suppose. Our asylums are full of men and women 



250 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

who, in one way or another, are dominated by their subjec- 
tive minds, acting in obedience to false suggestions which 
have been dwelt upon so long that reason is powerless to 
combat them. 

The lesson is obvious. We should learn first of all that 
the subjective entity within each of us, whilst it is endowed 
with transcendent powers, is also circumscribed by limita- 
tions which unfit it for control of the dual man. Having 
learned this, it should be our care to keep reason in the 
ascendency, and to control the subjective mind by sugges- 
tions which, while keeping it in subordination, will direct its 
powers in the channel of its legitimate functions, — namely, 
the preservation and perpetuation of the human species. 

Clairaudient powers, like every other power which enables 
man to raise the operations of the subjective mind above 
the threshold of consciousness, may to one who knows the 
laws which govern it, who appreciates its powers, and who 
is aware of its limitations, become a source of decided ad- 
vantage. But to one who does not understand those laws, 
powers, and limitations, those faculties may prove to be like 
the wand in the hand of the slave of the magician in the 
Eastern tale. He saw his master wave his wand, and heard 
him give orders to the spirits who arose at his command. 
The slave stole the wand, waved it in the air, and summoned 
the spirits. They came at his summons, but tore him in 
pieces instead of obeying his commands. He had not ob- 
served that his master used his left hand for the purpose of 
conjuration. 

This tale was told for the purpose of illustrating the very 
point which we have sought to make. The fate of the 
magician's slave was no worse than that which may befall 
any man who irregularly summons his own spirit, without 
understanding the laws which enable him to control it and 
make it useful instead of destructive. He is conjuring 
with the most potential force of nature below that of 
Omnipotence. 




CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM {continued). 

The Planchette. — Modifications — Easily operated — Automatic 
"Writing. — Governed by the Universal Law. — The Planchette with- 
out Spirits. — The Planchette and Telepathy. — Trance. — Ancient 
and Modern Superstitions relating to Trance. — Religious Sys- 
tems founded on Trance. — Visions, — Swedenborg. — Oriental 
Philosophy. — Its Slow Growth and Stupendous Proportions. — 
Spiritistic Philosophy. — Its Evolution. — All founded on Trance 
Visions in Ignorance of the Law of Suggestion. — Cahagnet's Mes- 
meric Seers. — Their Revelations. — Objective and Subjective 
Visions. — Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy — Visions of the Holy 
Virgin. — The Physical and Mental Attitude of Prayer- — The 
Prayer of Faith, — Obsession. — Possession. — Casting out Dev- 
ils. — Devils out of Fashion. — The Influence of Suggestion. — 
The Element of Telepathy. — Dual Personality. — Loss of Iden- 
tity. — Characteristics. — The Case of Ansel Bourne. — Possible 
Explanation. — A Proof of the Dual Hypothesis. — Multiple 
Personality. 

ANOTHER method of bringing the operations of the sub- 
jective mind above the threshold of consciousness is 
by means of an instrument called the planchette. It con- 
sists of a thin board about six inches square, resting upon 
two castors, the third leg consisting of a pencil, which 
passes through a hole in the board, its point resting upon 
the paper upon which the instrument is designed to write. 
The mode of operation consists in resting the hand lightly 
upon the board and allowing it to move over the paper 
without consciously aiding its progress. In the hands of a 
medium it will soon begin to write, apparently propelled by 
an unseen power. A modification of this apparatus is now 



252 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

on the market, which consists of a similar piece of thin 
board, approximately triangular in shape, with a plain 
wooden leg at each apex. Its feet, like the feet of the 
gods, are " shod with wool." Accompanying it is a board, 
say two feet square, on which the letters of the alphabet and 
the arabic numerals are painted. Its mode of operation is 
similar to that of the planchette, except that, instead of a 
pencil being used, one of the legs serves as a pointer, and 
the words are spelled out, letter by letter, as indicated by 
the pointer, which moves over the board in the same mys- 
terious way as the planchette. Its advantage over the 
planchette consists in the fact that a greater number of 
persons can operate it satisfactorily. Otherwise, the plan- 
chette is preferable, inasmuch as it writes continuously, in- 
stead of spelling the words letter by letter. In almost 
every family some one will be found who can, with a little 
practice, obtain communications by this means from his 
own subjective mind. This is the simplest way by which 
so-called spirit communications can be obtained. 

Automatic writing is a cognate method, and consists in 
holding a pencil in the hand and letting it write. The sub- 
jective mind assumes control of the muscles and nerves of 
the arm and hand, and propels the pencil, the objective 
mind meantime being perfectly quiescent, and often totally 
oblivious of what is being written. A smaller number of 
persons can acquire this faculty than either of the others. 

We assume, of course, that it is the subjective mind of 
the medium that directs the pencil. The same laws gov- 
ern the manifestations, and the intelligence is hedged 
about by the same limitations. Suggestion plays the same 
subtle role, and the knowledge of the subjects of the com- 
munications are limited by that of the medium and those 
with whom he is in telepathic rapport. The entity that 
guides the pencil almost invariably assumes to be a spirit, 
and its communications necessarily conform to the charac- 
ter assumed. The reason of this is obvious when we con- 
sider the fact that automatic writing has always been 
associated with the idea of spirit communion. The uni- 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 253 

versality of this idea constitutes an all-potent suggestion 
which cannot easily be overcome. Even though the 
medium may profess to be a sceptic on the subject of 
spirit intercourse, nevertheless he is dominated by that 
suggestion, in the absence of any definite counter-sugges- 
tion. Obviously, a counter- suggestion which could over- 
come the hypothesis of spirit intercourse must be in the 
form of a theory which appeals more strongly to the reason 
of the medium than the suggestion of spirit intercourse. 
In the present state of popular opinion on the subject of 
spiritism it would be difficult to find a medium whose sub- 
jective mind would not be dominated by the popular hypo- 
thesis. Nevertheless, instances have been known where 
the popular idea did not prevail. One case that is now 
recalled is reported in the " Proceedings of the Society for 
Psychical Research," April, 1891 (page 23). The medium, 
or, more properly speaking, the automatist, was a young lady, 
aged fifteen. "She had not previously heard of planchette," 
says the author, " and spiritualism was to her a mere name." 
This was a very desirable condition of mind for the pur- 
pose, and as rare as desirable. " She never knew what she 
had written till it was looked at," continues the author, 
" and there was often some slight difficulty in deciphering 
it. Thus, the first question, ' Who are you that write ? ' 
produced what at first I took to be mere scrawling, and C 
(the automatist) shortly after left the room. After she had 
done so, I took another look at this scrawl, and then at once 
perceived that it was legible, and that the name written in 
answer to the question was ' Henry Morton.' I at once 
followed C upstairs, and asked her if she had ever 
heard the name ; and she replied that it was that of a 
character in a Christmas play she had acted in, more than 
a year previously." 

This is a most remarkable case in more ways than one. 
It shows, first, that when the automatist knows nothing 
of spiritism, and there is consequently no suggestion of 
the spirits having any part in the performance, the sub- 
jective mind will not assume that it is a spirit that 



254 T H E LAW 0F PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

writes; secondly, that the bare fact that the question, 
"Who are you that write? " is asked, amounts to a sugges- 
tion that some third person is writing, and that the auto- 
matist is dominated by the inference drawn, just the same 
as if the suggestion had been a positive statement. The 
most remarkable part of it, however, is the persistency with 
which her subjective mind clung to the suggestion that she 
was " Henry Morton." She had assumed that character 
more than a year before, in a Christmas play, and her sub- 
jective mind still identified itself with the imaginary person- 
age, and believed the truth of the suggestion as firmly as it 
would have believed the suggestion that it was a disem- 
bodied spirit, had that suggestion been made. The author 
shows an intelligent appreciation of this fact when he adds : 
" Had the name been, as it easily might have been, that of 
some deceased friend, it is obvious what inference would 
have been drawn." It is also obvious that it would have 
been that of some deceased person, had the young lady 
been acquainted with the planchette and the spiritistic 
hypothesis. 

Another instance of automatic writing where the spirit- 
istic hypothesis was ignored, is reported in the " Pro- 
ceedings of the Society for Psychical Research," vol. iii. 
pages 8-23. Space can be given to a brief extract only. 
The experiments were tried by the Rev. P. H. Newnham 
and his wife, the latter acting as the automatist. The pri- 
mary object of these experiments was to test the power 
of thought-transference. This was very successfully done, 
as the answers, though not always correct, referred to the 
questions. It appears, incidentally, that they entertained 
a different hypothesis from the usual one, as will appear 
from the answers which we quote. The questions were 
written down by Mr. Newnham, and no hint was given to 
the operator as to their character or subject. The following 
are fair samples : — 

" Q. Is it the operator's brain, or some external force, that 
moves the planchette ? Answer ' brain,' or ' force.' 
A. Will. 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 255 

Q. Is it the will of a living person, or of an immaterial spirit 
distinct from that person ? Answer ' person ' or ' spirit.' 

A. Wife. 

Q. Give first the wife's Christian name; then my favorite 
name for her. 

A. (This was accurately done.) 

Q. What is your own name ? 

A. Only you. 

Q. We are not quite sure of the meaning of the answer. 
Explain. 

A. Wife." 

At a subsequent sitting the following questions and an- 
swers were given : — 

11 Q. Who are you that write ? 

A. Wife. 

Q. But does no one tell wife what to write ? If so, who ? 

A. Spirit. 

Q. Whose spirit ? 

A. Wife's brain. 

Q. But how does wife's brain know (certain) secrets ? 

A. Wife's spirit unconsciously guides." 

At a subsequent seance the following dialogue occurred : 

" Q. By what means are (unknown) secrets conveyed to 
wife's brain ? 

A. What you call mesmeric influence. 

Q. What do you mean by ' what you call ' ? What do you 
call it? 

A. Electro-biology. 

Q. By whom, or by what, is the electro-biologic force set in 
motion ? 

A . I told you you could not know more than you did. 

Q. Can wife answer a question the reply to which I do not 
know? 

A . Why do you try to make me say what I won't ? 

Q. Simply because I desire knowledge. Why will you not 
tell? 

A. Wife could tell if some one else, with a very strong will, 
in the room knew." 

These two cases clearly demonstrate the proposition that 
where an operator can be found who is not dominated 



2 $6 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

by the suggestion embraced in the spiritistic hypothesis, 
he will not assume to be a spirit. If he does entertain the 
spirit hypothesis, he will assume that he is a spirit, and 
answer accordingly. The mental and physical phenomena 
are the same in the one case as in the other. The logical 
conclusion is this : the fact that the intelligence which 
operates the pencil in the one case claims that it is a dis- 
embodied spirit does not constitute valid evidence that it 
is a spirit. We must look, therefore, to other sources for 
evidence of spirit origin of the phenomena. Obviously the 
only test by which that question can be settled is by the 
character of the communications. When that test is ap- 
plied, it is found that all that is mysterious about them can 
be explained on the hypothesis of telepathy or clairvoyance. 
In the mean time, the fact that the power that writes is 
always amenable to control by suggestion, constitutes the 
strongest presumptive evidence that it is the subjective 
mind of the operator. This is the explanation which is 
afforded by a knowledge of some of the laws governing 
the action of the subjective mind. The onus probandi 
rests with those who claim a supernatural origin for the 
phenomenon. 

TRANCE. 

Under the general head of trance may be grouped all 
that class of cases in which the objective faculties are, 
for the time being, held in practically complete abeyance, 
and the subjective mind becomes correspondingly active. 
Various names have been applied to this condition, such 
as somnambulism, hypnosis, mesmeric trance, ecstasy, cata- 
lepsy, obsession, etc., many of the names implying a theory 
of causation rather than distinctive features of condition. 
The condition varies in accordance with the idiosyncrasies 
of the individual as much as from the causes which induce 
it. The leading characteristics are, however, the same in 
all cases. These are, first, the partial or complete abeyance 
of the objective mind ; second, the activity of the subjec- 
tive mind ; and, third, the perfect amenability of the latter 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 257 

to control by the power of suggestion. Many remarkable 
mental phenomena are developed in these states, but this 
discussion will be confined to the supposed power of per- 
sons in the condition of trance to hold intercourse with the 
spiritual world. 

This power has been held to exist from time immemorial ; 
the ancient and modern mystical literature is filled with the 
most interesting, not to say startling, accounts of interviews 
held by these persons with the inhabitants of the spirit-land. 
Vast systems of religion have been founded upon the sup- 
posed revelations of persons in a trance, and untold mil- 
lions of the human race base their hopes of a life in a future 
world upon the dreams of ecstatics. The whole vast fabric 
of Oriental philosophy and religion is based upon the reve- 
lations of persons in a trance. The Swedenborgian philos- 
ophy in the Western world is founded upon the dreams of 
a person who, in a condition of a trance, believed himself 
to be able to hold familiar converse with the inhabitants of 
heaven and of hell. Some of these systems of spiritual 
philosophy are of such vast and complicated structure that 
the mind is wrapped in wonder and admiration of their 
magnitude and perfection. The Oriental philosophy, in 
particular, is so symmetrical, so pervaded by grand and 
noble conceptions, so permeated with lofty precepts of 
morality, humanity, and religion, that we are wont to lose 
sight of the fact that the whole structure is built up by a 
process of deductive reasoning from premises that have 
no better foundation than the dreams of ecstatics. But 
we are told that it has stood the test of thousands of years 
of thought and investigation, and that no fact in physical 
science can be adduced to disprove its fundamental prin- 
ciples. Doubtless this is true. The adepts have steered 
clear of propositions in physical science which could be 
disproved by the learning of the schoolboy. In this they 
have avoided those errors of the Bible of the Christians, 
which, though unimportant in themselves, having no bear- 
ing upon the real philosophy of the Christian religion, have 
proved a stumbling-block to superficial minds. But does 

l 7 ... 



258 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

it follow that because a proposition regarding the condition 
of affairs in the spirit-world cannot be controverted by the 
science of the physical world, the proposition must neces- 
sarily be true? Clearly not. Again, does it follow that 
because a system of philosophy, the alleged facts of which 
are necessarily undemonstrable, has stood the test of thou- 
sands of years of investigation, it is necessarily correct? 
By no means. Time has effected for the Oriental philoso- 
phy that which has not been effected for the Western spiritual 
philosophy, simply for the want of time ; it has perfected 
it as a system. The lapse of time has enabled the system 
to be evolved by the gradual but constant accretions of 
human thought, from generation to generation, until it has 
grown, from the first vague hope of the human soul for a 
life beyond the grave, to its present stupendous proportions. 
The processes of its growth can readily be seen and under- 
stood by a glance at the evolution of our own spiritistic 
philosophy within the memory of men now living. It is 
true that modern spiritism found a philosophy ready 
made to its hand in the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. 
His descriptions of the spirit-world were in the main con- 
firmed by the earlier mediums who were acquainted with 
his writings. His was essentially a material heaven. " As 
on earth, so in heaven," was his highest conception of the 
beauties and glories of the land of " spirits of just men 
made perfect." But he believed in hell, and he found one. 
He was inimical to certain Christian sects, and he found 
that all who belonged to those sects were condemned to 
everlasting punishment. When modern spiritism became 
a belief, it found its most enthusiastic followers among 
those who were outside of the pale of the Church, those 
who were in revolt against the asceticism of the Puritan 
belief and practices, those who refused to believe that a 
God of love and mercy would condemn any portion of his 
creatures to everlasting fire. They found in the Rochester 
knockings the first evidence which appealed to their senses 
of a life beyond the tomb ; and they consulted their me- 
diums with perfect confidence in their ability correctly to 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 259 

portray the condition of the denizens of the land of spirits. 
They learned from those oracles that their preconceived 
notions of divine justice were eminently correct, that there 
was no such place as hell, and that all alike shared in the 
boon of immortality ; and, by a series of progressive steps, 
through seven or eight concentric spheres, all at last 
reached the highest state of divine felicity. They found 
that Swedenborg was right in the main, but was a little 
incorrect in his information concerning hell. It would be 
tedious, as well as superfluous, to enumerate the steps by 
which the philosophy of modern spiritism has advanced 
from the crude notions of the earlier writers to its present 
status. Every intelligent reader will recognize the wide 
difference between the rhapsodic hodge-podge of Andrew 
Jackson Davis and the calm philosophy of Judge Edmonds, 
and will not fail to note how completely the latter is now 
superseded by modern writers, who are gradually engrafting 
upon the indigenous stem the most luxurious branches of 
the Oriental tree. What their philosophy will be in coming 
years can be conjectured only by those who observe what 
evolution has done for the Oriental philosophy during the 
thousands of years of its existence. 

The process of this evolution is easy to understand. The 
earlier mediums adopted the doctrines of Swedenborg, with 
certain amendments which seemed to them to be more in 
accord with reason and Divine justice. Those who followed, 
in turn adopted the main ideas of their predecessors, with 
amendments of their own. Each writer in succession 
amended the work of his predecessors in those respects in 
which it seemed to him to be imperfect, and each one had 
authority from the spirit-world which sanctioned the amend- 
ment. And thus the system grows in magnitude and per- 
fection, and will continue to grow as long as men believe 
themselves to be inspired by extramundane intelligences. 

Now, the noteworthy facts connected with this evolution- 
ary process are, first, that all believe that they obtain their 
authority for every statement of fact and every new idea 
direct from the spirits of the dead ; and secondly, that every 



26o THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

man who evolves a new idea, or is possessed of an old one, 
can easily have it confirmed by consulting a spirit me- 
dium, providing the proper suggestion is made to said 
medium. And this is true of all classes and ranks of 
mediums, from the common table-tipper to the Oriental 
ecstatic. If the medium is possessed of ideas of his own, 
and no outside suggestion is made, he will obtain informa- 
tion from the spirit world in exact accordance with his 
ideas. The same is true of all trance-seers, by whatever 
means the trance is brought about. Thus, Cahagnet, the 
French mesmerist, who devoted his life to mesmerizing sub- 
jects for the sole purpose of ascertaining what was going on 
in heaven, once mesmerized a French peasant, and directed 
him to visit the abode of the blest. This he promptly did, 
and reported that he saw a great white throne, surrounded by 
a great throng of people, all dressed in the most gorgeous 
apparel. On the throne was seated a man who was much 
larger than any of the rest, and who was further distin- 
guished by the superior cut, make, fit, and material of his 
clothes. The peasant was sure that he had seen the Al- 
mighty, and so reported. It is obvious that he had simply 
seen a vision representing a peasant's idea of heaven. Ca- 
hagnet assured him that he must be mistaken, and quoted 
Bible authority to show that God himself has said, " There 
shall no man see me, and live." This was convincing to the 
simple-minded peasant, and Cahagnet advised him, the next 
time he was entranced, to ascertain if it was not a conclave 
of leading spirits that he saw, who were assembled for some 
purpose connected with the internal economy of heaven. 
Accordingly, he made inquiries the next time he was en- 
tranced, and ascertained that Cahagnet was right. It is clear 
that Cahagnet did not understand the law of suggestion, or 
his book would never have been written. It is scarcely 
necessary to remark that his book obtained a wide circula- 
tion, was translated into several languages, and constituted 
a standard mesmeric text-book for many years. 

I have said that the same law of suggestion governs all 
trance-seers. This is obviously true. If it is a law, it is 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 26 1 

universal in its application. Yet Orientalists tell us that 
their visions are veridical, " because," they say, " they are 
objective visions." This, of course, is merely begging the 
question. They hold that the visions and other communi- 
cations obtained by Western spiritists are mere " subjective 
hallucinations." It is noteworthy that the distinction which 
they make between the two kinds of visions is this : those 
visions which accord with their views are " objective ; " 
those which do not are " subjective." It is a very easy and 
comforting distinction, but it forcibly reminds one of the old 
definition of orthodoxy as distinguished from heterodoxy: 
"Orthodoxy is my doxy, and heterodoxy is your doxy." 
The Oriental adepts claim that they have learned much more 
of the laws of nature than is dreamed of in Occidental phi- 
losophy. Doubtless they have, if half the stories we hear 
of them are true. They have learned to produce phenom- 
ena which far transcend anything done by our spirit me- 
diums. Moreover, they have learned the true source of the 
power, and they do not ascribe it to spirits of the dead. 
Said one of them, in my hearing : " I have often been asked 
the question, ' What is an adept ? ' An adept is a spirit 
medium who knows that the power to produce his phe- 
nomena resides within himself, and who possesses the intel- 
ligence and power to control and direct it." This is the 
exact truth in a nutshell. But because the adepts have 
acquired the knowledge of the laws which govern the pro- 
duction of phenomena, and are able to apply them, it does 
not follow that they are able to set any law of nature at 
defiance, or that they can claim exemption from the opera- 
tion of a universal law of our existence. We find in the 
Western world that the law of suggestion controls all sub- 
jective phenomena, of whatever name or nature, and we 
are slow to believe that Eastern people are exempt from 
the operations of the same law. If they are, the burden 
of proof rests upon them to demonstrate it. Thus far it 
has not been demonstrated. 

The literature of mysticism of all ages of the world and of 
all nations is full of accounts of the visions of ecstatics. The 



262 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

one noteworthy fact that is observable in all is that each one 
sees and hears that which he expects to see or hear. The 
details may be unexpected, and the whole may transcend 
his objective conceptions, but none controvert their precon- 
ceived ideas. Catholic ecstatics will see Catholic visions, 
and Protestants will see Protestant visions. In short, what- 
ever may be the belief or the philosophy of the ecstatic, 
confirmation of that belief will be found in his visions of, 
or his communications from, the other world. The history 
of the Catholic Church abounds in accounts of wonderful 
visions seen by nuns and other religious devotees of that 
faith. One noteworthy fact constantly reappears in that 
connection, which is, that they nearly always become en- 
tranced after long contemplation of the image of the Sa- 
viour or of the Virgin Mary. This fact is interesting from a 
purely scientific standpoint. The physical attitude which 
they assume in contemplation of the crucifix is the one 
most conducive to the induction of the hypnotic condition. 
The significance of this observation will be at once apparent 
when we remember that Dr. Braid demonstrated that fixed 
gazing upon an object held in such a position as to cause 
the eyes to be strained upward is the easiest way to induce 
the hypnotic condition. The attitude, both physical and 
mental, of prayer, is therefore the one most favorable to 
the induction of the hypnotic or trance condition on the 
one hand, and, on the other, to the production of the 
visions which accord with the faith and expectancy of the 
individual. 

The fact that the physical attitude assumed in prayer has 
a tendency to induce the subjective condition, will account 
for many of the well-recognized effects of earnest supplica- 
tion of Divine favor. That calm tranquillity of mind which 
follows the prayer of faith may be attributed, in part at 
least, to the physical condition resulting from partial hyp- 
nosis. The objective faculties are held in abeyance, the 
nerves are tranquillized, and that part of " God in us " holds 
communion and is harmonized with its Divine source. Thus 
it is that long and earnest prayer for the restoration of health 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 263 

is often followed by marvellous results, especially when it is 
inspired by perfect faith in the promises of the Master. The 
fact that faith constitutes a strong suggestion to the subject- 
ive mind, which in turn controls the condition of the body, 
does not militate against the idea of Divine agency in the 
result. It is the Divine essence within us which produces 
the effect, and it operates in strict accordance with Divine 
jaw. It confirms and explains that which Christ taught so 
earnestly and so persistently, namely, that we must have faith, 
or our prayers will avail nothing. That he understood the 
principle involved, goes without saying ; but it was not yet 
time to give it to the world, for the world was not prepared 
to receive it. " I have many things to say unto you, but ye 
cannot bear them now," were his words, uttered during his 
last interview with his disciples previous to his crucifixion. 
His was the " dispensation of faith." The promised " dis- 
pensation of knowledge " has not yet been inaugurated ; 
when it is, the wisdom which he taught will be better un- 
derstood, for it will then be known that the doctrines which 
he enunciated regarding his power over disease, and the 
conditions of immortality, were but statements in strict 
accordance with scientific facts. 

OBSESSION. 

Webster defines "obsession" as "the state of a person 
vexed or besieged by an evil spirit, antecedent to posses- 
sion." The latter term he defines as "the state of being 
possessed, as by an evil spirit," etc. Allan Kardec employs 
obsession as a generic term, to include simple obsession, 
which accords with Webster's definition of the term ; fasci- 
nation, which is " an illusion produced by direct action on 
the medium's thought," paralyzing his judgment ; and sub- 
jugation, which completely paralyzes the will, and causes 
the medium to act in spite of himself. For our purpose 
these fine distinctions are immaterial, as they merely repre- 
sent different stages or degrees of intensity of the same 
phenomenon. The theory of obsession is a modernizing of 
the old idea of being possessed of a devil, or devils, as the 



264 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

case might be. It consists in being dominated, to a greater 
or less extent, by the idea that the person is besieged or 
controlled by a foreign spirit, good or bad, angel or devil. 
It seems superfluous to remark that the same principles 
prevail in these cases as in all others where the idea of 
spirits has been suggested to the subjective mind. It mat- 
ters not how the suggestion originated, the result is the 
same. In ancient times the idea prevailed that any one 
was liable at any time to be taken possession of by a devil. 
When that idea was in vogue it frequently happened that 
persons who easily entered the subjective condition found 
themselves possessed of one or more devils. In those times 
the profession of exorcist was very profitable. The priest- 
hood generally monopolized the business, for the obvious 
reason that they were supposed to entertain a spirit of more 
or less antagonism to devils generally. Besides, devils were 
supposed to have a mortal fear of anything holy ; they had 
an especial dread of the sight of a copy of the Scriptures, 
and of hearing the name of God pronounced. Accordingly 
it came to pass that, upon the command of the exorcist, the 
devil would often incontinently fly, leaving the patient in his 
normal condition. Sometimes, however, he would be more 
stubborn, and the patient would go. into convulsions upon 
hearing the magic words pronounced ; and then more severe 
measures would have to be adopted, such as employing 
more exorcists. But persistence was generally rewarded 
with success. 

In later years devils have generally gone out of fashion, 
and their place is taken by bad spirits of dead men. And 
so it has come to pass that many spirit mediums are sorely 
afflicted with spirits, who pester them most outrageously. 
The exorcist is now replaced by the family doctor, who 
is generally scientific to the last degree, and accordingly 
endeavors to get rid of the spirit by means of physic or 
clysters. Recently, however, such cases have been treated 
successfully by means of hypnotism, which is the obvious 
remedy, in case the hypnotist realizes the power of 
suggestion, 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 26$ 

It is obvious to those who have followed our argument 
thus far that the subjective mind of the person obsessed is 
dominated by the suggestion that it is a bad spirit or a 
devil, as the case may be ; and that, acting upon that sug- 
gestion, it will personate the spirit or devil with the same 
extraordinary acumen that it would personate any other 
character suggested. And it will assume to be one, two, or 
seven devils or spirits, in accordance with the suggestion, 
and will exhibit as many different kinds and degrees of 
deviltry as there are devils embraced in the suggestion. 

Such cases are frequently characterized by the develop- 
ment of wonderful telepathic power ; and this of course adds 
to the mystery and confirms his friends in the idea that 
the patient is controlled by an extramundane agency. But, 
while it adds to the mystery, it does not militate against 
the soundness of the explanation afforded by the laws of 
duality and suggestion. The ceremony of exorcism by the 
priests in ancient times constituted a most powerful sugges- 
tive command, which could not, and did not, fail in having 
the desired effect. There was an interval, however, between 
the days of priestly exorcism and the days of modern hyp- 
notism, during which scepticism prevailed regarding the 
power of any one to exorcise an offending spirit, or to cure 
the patient by other than material remedies. Patients were 
then sent to insane asylums, only to increase their maladies. 
But in later years the power of hypnotic suggestion has 
become a recognized principle in therapeutics, and little 
trouble is experienced in curing obsessed patients where 
the brain has not become diseased. The fact that the 
trouble is susceptible of cure by hypnotic suggestion points 
clearly to its mental origin, and precludes the possibility of 
its being attributable to supermundane causes. 

DUAL PERSONALITY. 

Cognate in some of its essential characteristics to the 
phenomenon of obsession is that of dual personality ; and 
although it has nothing to do with the question of spiritism, 
it may as well be noted here as elsewhere. By this term is 



266 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

not meant the duality of mental organization which pertains 
to every human being, but it refers to a specific phenome- 
non which has received that name from recent scientific 
observers. It is characterized by a complete loss of knowl- 
edge of personal identity. The patient assumes a new 
name, a new personality, and a new character, the last 
being often in marked contrast to the normal one in every 
essential particular. The old personality is sometimes com- 
pletely forgotten, and sometimes it is remembered only as 
a person whom the patient has once known. In some in- 
stances the two personalities alternate at somewhat irregular 
intervals. In others, the phenomenon occurs only once in a 
lifetime. In others, several different personalities will be 
assumed at different times. In all these cases certain char- 
acteristics constantly reappear, the most notable appearing 
in the fact that the new personality is always consistent with 
itself; that is, it is always the same, whenever it reappears. 
Its moral characteristics are sometimes in marked contrast to 
the lifelong character developed in the normal state, but it 
never varies from one time to another. If a dozen different 
personalities should be assumed at different times, each 
would always be consistent with itself. The incidents oc- 
curring during the continuance of one interval of the abnor- 
mal personality will always be remembered whenever the 
same personality reappears, so that the existence of the 
new personality, when it reappears with frequency, is prac- 
tically continuous; that is, the intervals of normal con- 
sciousness do not seem to be remembered. The normal 
personality, hoAvever, never remembers aught of what oc- 
curred during the abnormal interval. As before remarked, 
the abnormal personality sometimes remembers the exist- 
ence of the normal one, but always as that of a third per- 
son, upon whom it often looks, and of whom it sometimes 
speaks, with pitying contempt. It generally happens, in 
case two or more abnormal personalities are assumed, that 
each remembers all the other abnormal characters, but 
regards them as third persons having no connection what- 
ever with itself. 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 267 

One of the most remarkable cases which have been re- 
ported in the United States was that of one Ansel Bourne, 
a Baptist clergyman, who suddenly disappeared from his 
home in Rhode Island a few years ago. Every effort was 
made to find him, but without avail. At the end of two 
months he returned to his home, after an experience of 
the strangest character. It appears, from an investigation 
conducted in the most careful and painstaking manner, 
in behalf of the London Society for Psychical Research, 
that Mr. Bourne lost normal consciousness soon after leav- 
ing home, and wandered around in several different towns 
and cities, finally reaching Norristown, Pa., where he rented 
a store, stocked it with small wares, and carried it on suc- 
cessfully for a period of six weeks, under the name of 
A. J. Brown. He appeared to the citizens of Norristown 
as a normal person, conducting his business properly, con- 
tracting no unnecessary debts, and always paying promptly. 
At the end of six weeks of a mercantile career he sud- 
denly regained his normal consciousness, and remembered 
nothing whatever of his abnormal experience. The article 
in the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, 
written by Richard Hodgson, LL.D., exhibits exhaustive 
research in the investigation of this case, and its entire 
verity cannot be doubted. It appears that Mr. Bourne 
had once, in early life, had a remarkable experience, which 
shows a tendency to abnormal psychic conditions ; but 
nothing was developed which throws any light upon any 
specific cause for the particular phase of his later expe- 
rience. He had never before engaged in trade, nor had he 
had any taste for such a life, and nothing could be remem- 
bered which could explain why it was that he assumed the 
name of A. J. Brown. It is stated, however, that he had 
once been hypnotized, when young, and made to per- 
form many amusing antics on the stage ; but no recollec- 
tion was had that the name of A. J. Brown had been 
suggested to him at the time. It is extremely probable, 
however, that that name was suggested to him at that time, 
and that his subjective mind retained the memory of the 



268 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

name, and that the impression lasted all those years, only 
to reappear when he again went into a hypnotic trance. 
This is only a conjecture, however ; but it has been shown 
in a previous chapter how the subjective mind of a young 
lady retained the impression of its identity with a certain 
fictitious character, which she had once assumed in a play, 
and with which it again identified itself in obedience to her 
suggestion, made when she was in the normal condition. 

Again, it is a common stage experiment in hypnotism to 
suggest some name to the subject, and some character in 
which he is made to act, that of a merchant being not 
uncommon. When we remember how lasting are such 
impressions upon the subjective mind, and how prone they 
are to reappear at any subsequent time when the same 
conditions exist, we are prepared to believe that such a 
suggestion, made in early life, would be an ample explana- 
tion of the subsequent event. The fact that the sug- 
gestion, whatever it was and by whomsoever it was made, 
was made while the subject was in the hypnotic condi- 
tion, and could not, therefore, be remembered objectively, 
explains why it is that in few, if any, of such cases can 
any clew be obtained as to the origin of the suggestion, or 
any reason assigned for the assumption of any particular 
personality. 

The dual character of the persons thus afflicted con- 
stitutes the most indubitable evidence of the duality of 
man's mental organism, and it is beginning to be so recog- 
nized by European scientific observers. Some of them 
say, however, " If this is evidence of duality of mind, what 
shall we say of those who exhibit a triple personality? Is 
that an evidence of a trinity of mind?" The question 
is pertinent, and is easily answered. It is obvious that 
the persons exhibiting the phenomenon are in a hypnotic 
trance, and are, therefore, governed by the laws pertaining 
to hypnotism. They have an objective mind, which is the 
controlling power in the normal condition. In the hypnotic 
state the normal, or objective, faculties are in abeyance, and 
the person is amenable to control by the power of sugges- 



THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 269 

tion. Whatever name or character is then suggested is at 
once assumed by the subject. The suggestion may be oral, 
and proceed from another ; or it may be an auto-sugges- 
tion, arising from something suggested in a previous hyp- 
notization, or from some forgotten circumstance. Be that 
as it may, the suggested character is assumed and carried 
out with all the deductive logical exactitude characteristic 
of subjective reasoning. This is a well-known result of a 
common hypnotic experiment. It is also well known that 
the subject can be made to assume any number of charac- 
ters by the same process. It is a common stage experi- 
ment to cause a versatile subject, who is easily controlled, 
to assume a dozen different characters in the course of an 
evening's performance. It is obvious, therefore, that per- 
sons who are afflicted with a second personality, which occa- 
sionally takes possession of them, are also liable to assume 
a third, or, indeed, any number of names and characters, if 
anything happens to suggest them. In fact, the power of 
suggestion over the subjective mind, in the line of multipli- 
cation of characters, is practically unlimited. It is not a 
multiplication of personalities, however, nor an evidence of 
a triple or a quadruple personality, but merely an exhibi- 
tion of the power of the second, or subjective, personality 
of man to assume, in obedience to the law of suggestion, 
any number of real or imaginary characters. The same 
power is exhibited by the subjective personality of a 
spirit medium when it assumes the names and characters 
of any number of spirits of the dead, whose names are 
suggested. 

The specific character of the mental operations of per- 
sons in whom the second personality is abnormally devel- 
oped has not been recorded, so far as we are aware. It 
will be found, however, when observations are made in that 
direction, that they have practically no capacity for reason- 
ing by the inductive process when under the control of the 
second personality. This will certainly be the case if the 
hypnosis is perfect. Otherwise it might be modified by 
the synchronous action of the objective mind. It is hoped 



27O THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

that future observers will direct their attention to this ques- 
tion, to the end that a series of facts may be collated which 
shall assist in determining the direction and extent, as well 
as the exact limitations, of subjective mental power. When 
that is accomplished, the first great step will have been 
taken in bringing psychology within the domain of the 
exact sciences. < 



CHAPTER XIX. 

THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 

The Intelligence manifested. — It is a Human Intelligence. -— Inhe- 
rent Probabilities. — Conditions requisite. — The Best Conditions. 
— A Living Organism necessary — The Laws of Telepathy and 
Suggestion prevail. — Slate- Writing. — A Wonderful Slate- Writ- 
ing Seance. — Telepathic and Psycho-Physical Power displayed it* 
Perfection. — Demonstration of its Mundane Origin. — An Un- 
expected Phenomenon. — Summary of Results. — Syllogism. — 
General Conclusions. — Spiritistic Phenomena do not constitute 
Valid Evidence of a Life beyond the Grave. — An Argument iof 
Immortality. 

THE physical phenomena of spiritism are in more senses 
* than one the most interesting of all the manifestations 
of subjective power. They require, however, but a brief 
treatment at our hands, for the reason that the primary 
object of this book is to deal with the mental powers and 
attributes of mankind in their relations to psychic phe- 
nomena. No attempt, therefore, will be made to prove 
that the alleged physical phenomena of so-called spiritism 
are veridical or otherwise. It would be a work of super- 
erogation to attempt to add force or volume to the already 
overwhelming array of testimony going to show the wonder- 
ful physical power often displayed in connection with psychic 
phenomena. For our purposes it is not a matter of vital 
importance whether' things can be made to levitate without 
physical contact or not. It will be assumed, therefore, 
that all statements made by respectable witnesses in regard 
to tne occurrence of physical phenomena are true. We do 



272 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

this partly because we believe them to be true, having seen 
enough to know the reality of the leading physical phe- 
nomena, and partly because our purpose is to deal with 
the mental aspects of psychic phenomena, and the laws 
which pertain to their development. We shall leave to 
those who are sceptical, or who think they are sceptical 
rather than ignorant, the task of investigating, after the 
ponderous and elaborate methods of the scientists, phe- 
nomena which can be verified beyond the possible shadow 
of a doubt, by the exercise of a little common-sense. And 
we will here undertake to guarantee that if any scientific 
gentleman will, in good faith, follow the suggestions offered 
in former chapters of this book regarding the proper 
method of dealing with so-called mediums, and will divest 
himself, for the time being, of all fear of professional 
mediums and all prejudice against them, he will not only 
see enough to convince him of the truth of all that is 
alleged regarding physical phenomena, but he will also see 
that the elaborate test conditions often insisted upon by 
scientific investigators are superfluous, not to say absurd. 
These remarks are, of course, applicable to the better class 
of mediums, that is, those who are recognized by the great 
body of spiritists as possessing a high order of mediumistic 
power. Their moral characteristics need not count as a 
factor, for it is to the interest of a medium to produce 
genuine phenomena when he can, and he will always do so 
if the conditions are favorable. Mediums are always anx- 
ious to exhibit their phenomena, when genuine, under test 
conditions, and will do so in a way that shall satisfy the 
most sceptical. A further qualification of the foregoing 
remarks should be made in. regard to " materializing " me- 
diums. The writer has never seen anything genuine in 
the line of materializations. There is here more room for 
fraud, and more fraud is perpetrated by materializing me- 
diums than by any other, because materialization is a rare 
and difficult phase of mediumship. Yet there is every 
reason to believe, and we shall undertake to show further 
on, that the production of genuine apparitions, resembling 



THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 273 

the persons they profess to represent, is a possibility within 
the range of psychic power. 

The remarks which follow will therefore be addressed, 
not to those who are not yet convinced of the reality of 
physical phenomena, but to those who are aware of their 
reality, but attribute them to extramundane causes. 

There is one pregnant fact connected with these mani- 
festations which all will admit, and that is that there is an 
intelligence which directs and controls them. This intelli- 
gence is that of disembodied spirits, or it is not. If it is 
not, it must be that of embodied spirits. These proposi- 
tions, if not self-evident, will at least be admitted to be tme 
by those who believe that it proceeds from disembodied 
spirits of human beings. The intelligence is a human in- 
telligence, — that is, it is characterized by human imperfec- 
tions and limitations ; and, as all human beings must be 
classified as either living or dead, we must look to one 
class or the other for the source of the phenomena. 

The first question in order is, What are the inherent pro- 
babilities ? Conceding the power to exist, it would seem to 
be more inherently probable that it is possessed by a soul 
connected with a living organism, than it is that it is pos- 
sessed by a soul that has been entirely severed from all 
connection with the material world. Spiritists themselves 
unwittingly concede the truth of this proposition when they 
assert, as does Allan Kardec, on the authority, as he says, of 
" the spirit of Saint Louis," that " the spirits who produce 
these effects are always inferior spirits, who are not entirely 
disengaged from material influence." * Besides, the very 
fact that the intervention of a " medium " is necessary for 
the production of physical phenomena demonstrates the 
proposition that the elements of physical organism are es- 
sential. It requires, therefore, two things to produce the 
phenomena ; namely, a soul and a body. In a living man 
the two are united and working in harmony. Is it not 
probable that such an organism is capable of producing all 
the effects attributed to the temporary union of a dead 

1 Book on Mediums, p. 87. 
18 



274 THE LAW 0F PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

man's soul and a living man's body? If not, why not? 
Why should a dead maiVs spirit in abnormal union with a 
living man's body possess more power than a living man's 
spirit in normal union with his own body? Is it because 
the former possesses more knowledge than the latter? No, 
for we have seen that it is only "inferior spirits " who are 
capable of producing physical manifestations. Superior 
knowledge confers no advantage ; for, as Kardec informs us, 
the superior spirits have no power in that direction. We 
have, therefore, the authority of the spiritists themselves 
for formulating the proposition that the more completely 
the spirit of a man is " disengaged from material influence," 
the less power he possesses to produce physical phenomena. 
This being true, it follows that the converse of the propo- 
sition is true, namely, that the more completely the spirit 
of a man is united to material elements, the greater is his 
power to produce such phenomena. The conclusion is 
irresistible that the spirit of a man in normal union with 
his own body possesses the power in perfection. 

If, therefore, we can find in abstract reasoning no war- 
rant for the assumption that the phenomena are produced 
by disembodied spirits, we must look elsewhere for evidence 
of their extramundane origin. The first inquiry naturally 
suggesting itself is, What internal evidence is contained in 
the character of the manifestations which would enable one 
to form a correct judgment regarding their probable source ? 
We have already seen that reasoning from their physical 
character leads us to the conclusion that the physical power 
displayed must have a physical basis, and that that basis is 
probably the physical organism of the medium. Now, if 
its intellectual character leads us in the same direction, the 
evidence is still stronger in favor of its purely human origin. 
We presume that no one will dispute the proposition that 
the communications received through the physical phe- 
nomena are governed by the same laws as those received 
by means of the other methods which have been discussed. 
Indeed, the fact is almost self-evident. They have the 
■Same origin, and must be governed by the same laws. The 



THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 2?$ 

remarks, therefore, which have been made concerning the 
character of the communications obtained by other than 
physical means apply with full force to those obtained 
through physical demonstrations. The laws of telepathy 
and suggestion play their subtle role in the one case the 
same as in the other. If possible, there is less evidence 
of extramundane origin in the physical manifestations than 
there is in the intellectual. Indeed, this might be pre-sup- 
posed, from the gross character of the former, even though 
the latter had a purely spiritual source. If, therefore, we 
find no valid evidence of extramundane origin in the 
higher manifestations, it is a waste of time to seek for evi~ 
dence of spirit intercourse in the tipping of kitchen tables, 
the levitation of parlor sofas, or the convulsions of whole 
sets of chamber furniture. 

The foregoing remarks apply to all forms and grades of 
physical phenomena, of which there are many. Some of 
them possess the most intense interest, not only on account 
of the wonderful psycho-physical power displayed, but because 
of their intellectual phases. Slate-writing, for instance, 
when performed by a first-class medium, gifted with a hign 
order of telepathic power, accompanied by other necessary 
intellectual qualifications, is one of the most interesting of 
all phases of psychic power. An instance which occurred 
within the writer's own experience will be here related, for 
the reason that it fully illustrates the essential qualifications 
and characteristics of a first-class medium, shows both the 
physical and mental powers with which he is endowed, and 
clearly defines the limitations which hedge him about, and 
which point, with unerring exactitude, to the source of the 
phenomena. 

A few years ago, a conversation which the writer had 
with a celebrated Union general led to an agreement to visit 
a prominent slate- writing medium, then sojourning in 
the city of Washington. Among other things, it was 
agreed that the general should be the sitter, and that he 
should be guided entirely by my suggestions relative to the 
course which he should pursue before and during the stance. 



276 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

My object, which he fully understood and appreciated. 
was, first, to convince him of the genuineness of the physi- 
cal phenomena, — that is, that the slate-writing was per- 
formed without corporeal contact of the medium with the 
pencil, and without the shadow of a possibility of the em- 
ployment of legerdemain ; and, secondly, to demonstrate 
the utter impossibility of the phenomena being attributable 
to disembodied spirits. 

It must be premised that the medium was in the habit 
of causing his sitters to write six short letters to as many 
different spirits. These epistles are written on separate 
pieces of paper about three inches square, and are addressed 
to the spirits by name and signed by the writer, precisely 
as an ordinary letter would be addressed and signed. Each 
letter is then rolled into a wad as small as possible, and 
retained in the hand of the sitter until he is requested to 
deposit them in a pile on the table. When this is done, the 
medium reaches his hand across the table and touches the 
wads with the tips of his fingers, the sitter meanwhile watch- 
ing the proceeding closely, to prevent the possibility of 
fraud. After the medium has touched each bit of paper 
the sitter resumes possession of them and retains them for 
future reference. It may be here remarked that a sitter 
has the privilege of bringing his own slates with him, and 
retaining possession of them until the writing is finished. 
They need not leave his custody for an instant. He may 
place the bit of pencil between them himself, and then 
securely lock or tie them together, and hold them as tightly 
as he chooses on the top of the table, in the broad light of 
day, while the writing is going on. 

The plan suggested to the general on this occasion, and 
which he carried out to the letter, was as follows : — 

1. To write three letters to as many spirits of his dead 
acquaintances, each one couched in general terms, — such 
as, "Dear B., can you communicate with me to-day? If 
so, tell me your condition in the spirit-land." This could 
be answered by very general remarks, and would require no 
specific answer involving any knowledge of the sitter's 
affairs or anything else. 



THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 2 J J 

2. To write two similar letters to two persons known to 
the sitter, but unknown to the medium, to be still living in 
the flesh. 

3. To write one letter to a deceased person, asking a 
specific question, the correct answer to which neither the 
sitter nor the medium could possibly know. 

4. To place the medium at his ease, by leading him to 
believe that he had to deal with a sympathetic believer in 
the doctrine of spiritism, who had perfect faith in the 
medium's powers. 

5. To prescribe no test conditions whatever, but let the 
medium have his own way in everything. 

6. Under no circumstances to Let the medium know 
the name or antecedents of the sitter. 

These suggestions were carried out to the letter. The 
general was unknown to the medium, and was introduced 
by the writer under a fictitious name. The medium occu- 
pied a suite of rooms consisting of a large double parlor 
separated by folding- doors. The front parlor was used as 
a reception-room, and the back parlor as a seance-room. 
The latter was lighted by one large window, in front of 
which stood an old-fashioned square dining-table. The 
medium seated himself on one side of this table, and the 
sitter occupied a chair on the opposite side. Several slates 
were lying on the table, two of which the medium washed 
clean and then gave them into the custody of the sitter, 
who carefully examined them, and kept them in his posses- 
sion until the seance was over, resting his arms upon them 
while he wrote the prescribed letters. He was particularly 
cautious about writing the letters, carefully guarding them 
so that it was impossible for the medium to see the writing 
with his natural eyes, and never lifted his elbows from the 
two slates in his custody. When the letters were all finished 
and rolled into wads, they were placed upon the table 
directly between the medium and the sitter, the latter never 
allowing his eyes to wander from them for an instant. The 
medium then touched each wad with his finger-tips, when 
they were again taken possession of by the sitter. 



278 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

It should be stated that the seance, thus far, was not 
witnessed by myself; but the circumstances were afterwards 
detailed by the general, whose perfect trustworthiness is 
beyond question. At this juncture — that is, while the wads 
were still lying on the table — a most remarkable incident 
happened. The medium suddenly arose, opened the folding- 
doors, and invited me in to take part in the se'ance. After 
resuming his seat, he remarked to me : " There is a spirit 
here who refuses to communicate until you are allowed to 

be present. He says his name is G (mentioning a 

common Christian name) . Have you any deceased friend 
by that name?" I answered, No, not remembering, for the 
moment, any one bearing that name. The medium then 
handed me a pencil, and said : " Touch one of those wads 
with the pencil ; then open it, and you will find that it is a 
letter addressed to G ." 

I touched one of the six wads, at random of course, and 
upon opening it found, to my surprise, that it was a letter 

addressed by the sitter to his deceased brother G . The 

brother was also a very dear friend of mine ; but his exalted 
position in life precluded me from ever addressing him by 
his Christian name, and I had not been consciously think- 
ing of him during the seance. Then the medium again 
addressed me, as follows : — 

" Fold the letter again, place it with the others, and mix 
them all together. Then take the pencil and touch another 
wad ; and the one you touch you will find to be a letter 
addressed to M ." 

This was done, and the wad touched proved to be a letter 
addressed to the party named by the medium. A third 
time this feat was performed with the same result. To say 
that we were surprised is but feebly to express our emotions. 
The first success might be attributable to coincidence, sup- 
posing the medium to be in possession of the name. The 
chances were one to six, and it is within easy range of 
coincidence that I should have hit upon the right letter. 
In the second trial the chances were also one to six, per se ; 
but the chances that I should succeed twice in succession 



THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 279 

were largely against me; and the fact that I succeeded 
three times in succession in pointing out the right letter 
removes the matter far outside the domain of coincidence. 
When we take into account the telepathic power displayed 
by the medium, and that other power, whatever it may have 
been, which transformed me for the moment into an auto- 
maton, the incident will be seen to possess an extraordinary 
interest and importance. I should here remark that that 
was the first and only experience of my own in the domain 
of subjective automatism, and that I did not experience 
any sensation which could lead me to suppose that I was 
not in a perfectly normal condition, mentally and physically. 

The most remarkable part of the performance, however, 
is yet to be related. The sitter meantime did not lose his 
presence of mind, but carefully guarded the pair of slates 
in his custody, never lifting his arms from them as they lay 
upon the table before him. Nor did he for an instant lose 
sight of the wads of paper which he placed upon the table. 
The medium touched them with his finger-tips alone, as 
before related ; and after I had pointed out the three letters, 
they were taken into the custody of the sitter. This done, 
the medium said to the sitter : " Open the slates, and you 

will find a communication from G ." This was done, 

and the promised communication was found, addressed to 

the sitter by name and signed by G , the name of the 

sitter's brother. In fact, it was a pertinent answer to the 
letter written by the sitter to his brother, addressed as the 
sitter had signed his name, and signed as the sitter's brother 
had been addressed. 

The medium then became considerably agitated, and 
moved with convulsive rapidity. He seized two other 
slates, washed them, submitted them for inspection, and 
placed them upon the centre of the table before us, with a 
bit of black pencil between them. He then invited us to 
place our hands upon the slate with him. This we did, 
whereupon the writing began. We could distinctly hear 
the pencil move with a gentle, but rapid, scratching 
sound. In a few minutes three raps were heard, appar- 



28o THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

ently made by the pencil between the slates. This was said 
to be the signal announcing the completion of the message. 
The slates were then separated, and several messages were 
found inside. 

Two more slates were then seized by the medium, washed, 
submitted for inspection, and placed upon the table as 
before. Our hands were again placed upon the slates, 
and the writing again began. After it had progressed for 
a few moments, the medium announced that the spirits 
wanted to write in colors. He thereupon arose, walked to 
the mantelpiece, and produced a box of colored crayons, 
all in small bits, about the size of the piece of black slate- 
pencil with which the writing had been done. We were 
about to open the slates, to allow the insertion of the cray- 
ons, when the medium said that it was unnecessary, as " the 
colors could be got from the outside just as well." The 
box of crayons was accordingly placed beside the slate, and 
the writing was resumed. After a short interval the signal 
was given that the messages were- finished. The general 
thereupon very carefully separated the slates, to see if there 
were any colored crayons concealed therein. Only the bit 
of black slate pencil was there, but four or five different 
colors had been used in writing the messages. 

The results of this seance may be summed up as follows : 

The contents of every letter written by the sitter were 
evidently known to the intelligence which wrote the replies, 
for every letter received an appropriate answer, save one, 
which will be noted further on. The answer to each letter 
was addressed to the name signed to the corresponding 
letter, and each answer was signed with the name of the 
person to whom the corresponding letter was addressed. 

Six letters were written by the sitter, as before stated. 
Three of them were written to deceased friends of the sitter, 
and were couched in such general terms that the replies 
did not require any specific knowledge on the part of the 
intelligence which wrote the replies. 

Two of the letters were written to living persons, and 
they were also couched in general terms, requiring no 



THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 28 1 

specific knowledge to enable an appropriate reply to be 
framed. 

Each of these five letters received a reply which assumed 
that its writer was a denizen of the spirit-land. There was 
no difference in their replies so far as that was concerned. 

The sixth letter was addressed to a deceased relative, and 
was as follows, omitting names : — 

Dear A. B., — Whom did you desire to have appointed ad- 
ministrator of your estate ? (Signed) C. D. 

To this letter the only reply was from the medium's 
"control," who reported as follows: — 

" A. B. is here, but cannot communicate to-day." 

The conclusions which are inevitable may be summed as 
follows : — 

1. The slate-writing was done without physical contact 
with the pencil, either by the medium or any one else. It 
all occurred in broad daylight. The slates were not han- 
dled by the medium, except to wash them and to place 
his hands upon them (in all cases but one) while the writ- 
ing was going on. The slates were not for an instant out of 
sight of the sitter during the whole seance, nor were they 
out of his custody during that time, after they were washed 
by the medium. They were then carefully inspected by 
the sitter, the pencil was placed between them by the sitter, 
they were tied together by the sitter, and opened by him 
after the writing was finished. In short, there was no 
chance for fraud or legerdemain, and there was none. 

2. The power which moved the pencil, being clearly 
not physical, must have been occult. This occult power 
was either that of disembodied spirits, or that of the me- 
dium. Did it proceed from disembodied spirits? Let 
us see. The replies to the five letters emanated from 
the same source ; that is to say, if the replies to any of 
them were from disembodied spirits, they were all from 
disembodied spirits. They were clearly not all from dis- 
embodied spirits, for two of the letters were addressed to 



282 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

living persons, and the replies were of the same character 
as the others. The logical conclusion is inevitable that 
none of the replies were from disembodied spirits. To 
put it in the simple form of a syllogism, we have the 
following : — 

The replies to the five letters were all from the same 
source. 

Two of them were not from disembodied spirits. 

Therefore, none of them were from disembodied spirits. 

Again : 

The power to produce the slate-writing emanated either 
from disembodied spirits or from the medium. 

It did not emanate from disembodied spirits. 

Therefore, it emanated from the medium. 

Having now logically traced the phenomenon to the dooi 
of the medium, let us see what further evidence there is in 
support of that conclusion. And first let us inquire, Is 
there anything inherently improbable in the theory that 
he was the source of the intelligence which guided, and the 
power which moved, the pencil ? Was there any intellec- 
tual feat performed which rendered it impossible that he 
should have been its author? The power to read the con- 
tents of the six letters was obviously within the domain of 
telepathy. He was, therefore, just as well equipped for the 
performance of that feat as a disembodied spirit could be. 
Suggestion also plays its subtle role in this class of phe- 
nomena, as in all others, and relieves the medium of all 
imputation of dishonesty or insincerity in attributing it to 
the wrong source. The probability that the power to move 
the pencil without physical contact resides in the medium, 
is as great, at least, as the probability that it resides in dis- 
embodied spirits. All these questions have, however, been 
fully discussed, and are mentioned here merely to complete 
the chain of reasoning. 

There was nothing apparent in the answers to the five 
letters mentioned which would indicate that they ema- 
nated from any source other than the medium. They 
contained no information possessed exclusively by disem- 



THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 283 

bodied spirits, although they all purported to emanate 
from them. The five letters were not, however, framed for 
the purpose of testing the knowledge possessed by spirits, 
but merely to show that the replies did not emanate from 
that source. 

The sixth letter, however, was framed for the express 
purpose of testing the knowledge possessed by the intelli- 
gence which moved the pencil. The question, " Whom 
did you desire to have appointed administrator of your 
estate?" was asked because the sitter did not know the 
correct answer, and he knew that the medium could not 
know. The knowledge was possessed by the deceased per 
son exclusively ; and it is reasonable to suppose that if he 
was present, as the medium declared that he was, he would 
have given the desired information. The intelligence which 
wrote the replies was in full possession of the contents of 
all the letters, all the names addressed, and all the signa- 
tures, including those of the sixth letter. The answers to 
five of them were pertinent and intelligent, no specific 
knowledge being required. But when the sixth was reached, 
the spirit " could not communicate to-day." Why? Sim- 
ply because the specific knowledge required to answer the 
question was not in the possession of any one present, and 
it could not, therefore, be obtained telepathically, as the 
knowledge of the contents of the other letters was obtained. 

This is the rock upon which all so-called spirit inter- 
course splits. Everything goes along swimmingly as long 
as the medium knows what to reply, or can obtain informa- 
tion by means of his telepathic or clairvoyant powers. But 
the moment he is confronted by a question requiring knowl- 
edge not obtainable in that way, he fails dismally. 

The circumstances of this seance have been detailed for 
the reason that it was a typical seance. It displayed all 
the essential characteristics of modern spirit intercourse, so- 
called. The medium displayed all the essential powers and 
attributes of good mediumship. The physical phenomena 
were produced to perfection, and under the most perfect 
test-conditions. The telepathic powers displayed were of 



284 THE LAW 0F PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

the most extraordinary character, and the conditions undei 
which they were produced were also such as to preclude 
the possibility of fraud or legerdemain. The results were 
also perfect in their character, showing, as they did, both 
the powers of the medium and his limitations. The dual 
character of the human mind was also clearly manifested, 
and the perfect amenability of the subjective entity to con- 
trol by the power of suggestion was demonstrated. 

It would be interesting to pursue the subject of physical 
manifestations further, and to examine all their multiform 
characteristics ; but that would be foreign to the purposes 
of this book. The examination of the mental character- 
istics of the intelligence which controls the different mani- 
festations is our only purpose, and we have shown that the 
same laws prevail in all. It is believed that enough has 
been said to enable the conscientious investigator, who 
wishes to test the correctness of our hypothesis, to apply 
its fundamental propositions to all psychic phenomena. It 
is also believed that whoever so applies those propositions 
will arrive at the same conclusions to which I have come ; 
namely, that there is no valid evidence, in any of the phe- 
nomena of so-called spiritism, that the spirits of the dead 
have any part in their production. On the contrary, as it 
seems to me, the evidence all points in the opposite direc- 
tion. I refer, of course, solely to those phenomena which 
are produced through so-called spirit mediums. If there 
is any communication to be had with the denizens of the 
other shore, it is certainly not through them. I have re- 
luctantly arrived at this conclusion. It would be pleasant 
to believe otherwise, but I have sought in vain for evi- 
dence which would warrant me in doing so. 

In abandoning all hope of obtaining valid evidence of 
the ability of disembodied spirits to hold intercourse with 
the living through the intervention of spirit mediums, I do 
not for a moment yield my hope, or my convictions, of a 
life beyond the grave. On the contrary, the very powers 
which are evoked in the production of the phenomena con- 
stitute one of the strongest links in the chain of evidence 



THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. 285 

going to show that man possesses within himself an entity 
which does not depend for its existence upon the contin- 
ued life of the body. We see that this entity possesses 
powers which far transcend those of our physical frame ; 
that the mental powers of the subjective mind or entity are 
exercised independently of our objective senses ; that they 
grow stronger as the body grows weaker, and are strongest 
in the hour of death. Have we not a logical right to infer 
that when it is entirely freed from physical trammels, it will 
have reached a condition of independent existence ? What 
that existence is, it is not for objective man to know. 
It is possible that if spirits could communicate as famil- 
iarly with the living as we commune with one another, they 
would have no language which could bring to our -compre- 
hension their true condition. It would be like teaching an 
infant the principles of the differential calculus. How can 
the caterpillar, crawling upon the ground, hold intelligent 
communion with the airy butterfly, or the butterfly reveal 
to the caterpillar the mysteries of her winged life ? 

The fact remains that mankind has ever hoped, and will 
ever hope, for a continued existence of some kind ; and 
all the old arguments in its favor, and all the promises of 
the Master, still hold good. Moreover, every new develop- 
ment in psychic science adds strength to the arguments, 
and fresh proofs of his wisdom. 




CHAPTER XX. 

PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. 

Ghosts. — Scientific Investigations. — Tentative Classification of Phe- 
»- nomena. — Power to create Phantasms demonstrated. — Inves- 
tigations of the London Society for Psychical Research. — Spirit 
Photography. — Projection of the " Astral Body." — Witches. — 
Conditions necessary. — The same in all Cases. — Spirit " Materi- 
alization." — Magicians. — Ghosts the Creations of the Subjective 
Entity. — Eliphas Levi's Views. — Raising the Devil. — Crystal 
Visions. — Propositions established. — Embodied Thoughts. — 
Phantasms not Spirits. — Uniform Characteristics. — A New 
Classification. — Conditions of Objectivity and Persistency. — 
Haunted Houses. — No General Intelligence manifested. — D'As- 
sier's Statements. — A Remarkable Case. — Ghosts Intensified 
Telepathic Visions. — Difference in Degree, not in Kind. — Ghosts 
not controllable by Suggestion. — Other Salient Peculiarities. — 
Ghosts neither prove nor disprove Immortality. — Mental Atmos- 
phere of Houses. — Remarkable Cases. — Classification of Tele- 
pathic Phenomena. — Conclusions. 

HP HERE is another class of phenomena which demands 
* a brief notice, although it does not pertain directly 
to the development of the hypothesis under consideration. 
It is that of phantasms of the dead, or ghosts. Scientific 
investigations of modern times have demonstrated the fact 
that many of the ghost-stories which have terrified the 
timid in all ages of the world have a real foundation in 
fact ; that is, it has been demonstrated that certain impal- 
pable shapes, resembling persons deceased, do from time 
to time appear to the living. The world is indebted more 
than it can ever repay to the London Society for Psychi- 
cal Research for its patient, untiring, and strictly scien- 



PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. 



287 



tific investigations of this subject. Many facts have been 
accumulated, but they have not yet been classified with 
reference to any special theory or hypothesis. It is per- 
haps too early to formulate any hypothesis pertaining to the 
subject-matter. It is certainly too early to dogmatize. The 
most that can safely be done is to speculate tentatively, and 
to suggest a line of thought and investigation for those who 
are devoting their time to the work. It is my purpose to 
do this, and this alone, in the hope that if the suggestions 
seem to be worthy of consideration, the subject may be 
pursued on the lines indicated until their fallacy is exposed 
or their correctness demonstrated. 

It seems to me that sufficient facts have been accumu- 
lated to establish, provisionally at least, certain definite char- 
acteristics of all phantasms, whether of the living or the dead ; 
and if a theory can be formulated, however startling it may 
be at first glance, that will harmonize with the welL estab- 
lished characteristics of the phenomena, it will be at least 
worthy of consideration. In attempting to do this, I shall 
not quote authorities to any extent to establish my prem- 
ises, but shall state merely what seems to be well authen- 
ticated, and leave the verification of the premises, as well 
as the conclusions, to those who have more time, patience, 
and ability to devote to the work than I have. 

First of all, then, it seems to be well authenticated that 
the subjective personality of man possesses the power to 
create phantasms, or visions, which in many instances are 
visible to the objective senses of others. The telepathic 
experiments recorded in "Phantasms of the Living" and 
in the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 
amply demonstrate the truth of this proposition. Every 
vision perceived by one in telepathic rapport with another 
must be presumed to have been created by one or the other. 
It is true that some of the visions may be merely per- 
ceived subjectively, but not all. Many cases are recorded 
where the phantasms have been perceived by more than 
one person at the same time, and others have been per- 
ceived under circumstances such as to leave no doubt that 



288 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

the percipient was in a completely normal condition, and 
saw the visions objectively. Moreover, the phenomena of 
so-called spirit photography amply demonstrate the fact 
that visions can be created of such tangible character that 
they can be caught and fixed upon the photographic plate. 
In saying this I am not insensible of the fact that many 
frauds have been committed in this species of phenomena, 
as well as in all others attributed to spirits of the dead. But 
this does not militate against phenomena of that character 
which have been produced under test conditions so strict 
that all possibility of fraud was eliminated. In admitting 
this class of phenomena to be genuine, in the sense that it 
is sometimes produced without fraud or legerdemain, it is 
also admitted that, in many instances, pictures of the sitter's 
dead friends have been produced which were such perfect 
likenesses of the deceased as to be unmistakable. Of 
course it will be understood that whilst I admit the phe- 
nomenon, I do not admit the claim that it has its origin in 
the spirit-world. Like all other so-called spirit phenomena, 
it is, in my. opinion, directly traceable to the power of 
the subjective mind of the medium, aided by telepathic 
communion with the sitter. The latter, consciously or un- 
consciously, thinks of one or more of his dead friends. 
The medium, perceiving telepathically the image created 
by the mind of the sitter, re-creates it in such tangible 
shape that it is caught by the camera. Or it may be in 
some instances that the image is created by the sitter him- 
self in such palpable shape as to be caught by the camera. 
Indeed, in many recorded instances, where the sitter has 
been a powerful medium, it seems probable that he created 
the image himself. In point of fact there is little doubt that 
the power resides, to a greater or less extent, in all human 
beings to create such images, their strength and clearness 
depending, of course, upon the power of the individual to 
recall vividly the remembrance of the person to be photo- 
graphed, together with the power to concentrate his mind 
for a certain length of time upon the mental picture. In- 
deed, experiments have been made which demonstrate the 



PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. 289 

power to produce the picture of any one, living or dead, in 
this manner. 

This being true, two conclusions are obvious ; namely, 
(1) That the phenomena of spirit photography are easily 
accounted for, without the necessity of attributing them to 
extramundane origin ; and (2) That the power resides in the 
subjective mind of man to create phantasms perceptible to 
the objective senses of others. Again, it seems to be well es- 
tablished by experiment that some persons have the power, 
not only to create such phantasms, but to endow them with a 
certain degree of intelligence and power. Thus, the experi- 
ments recorded in " Phantasms of the Living," and quoted 
in a preceding chapter of this book, show that the image 
of the agent was not only created by him in his sleep, but 
was projected into the presence of others at a long distance 
from where he slept. The image was not only perceptible 
to the sight, as much so as the real presence would have 
been, but in some instances it was even tangible. The 
Orientalists call this the " projection of the astral body," 
and it is claimed that many persons in the East have 
acquired the power to produce the phenomenon at will. 
The fact that phantasms can thus be produced being well 
authenticated, many old stories of such phenomena acquire 
a new interest and importance, and assume an air of. prob- 
ability. Thus, the old stories of witches, in so far as the 
alleged phenomena seem to have been produced under the 
same conditions as those which are well authenticated, are 
elevated into the region of possibility, if not of probability. 
They are at least worthy of re- examination, in the light of 
modern experiments. It is foreign to my purpose to enter 
at large into the discussion of the alleged phenomena of 
so-called witchcraft, and this allusion is made here for the 
purpose of suggesting to those who desire to pursue the 
subject that if they will take for granted that which has 
been demonstrated to be true in regard to the power of the 
sub -conscious mind, or personality, to project tangible phan- 
tasms or images, and will apply the doctrine of duality and 
suggestion to the alleged facts, the old stories of the phe- 

19 - 



290 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

nomena of witchcraft will be found to possess a scientific 
value and importance which cannot be ignored in the study 
of psychology. 

For the purposes of this argument it will be assumed that 
the power of man, under certain conditions, to project 
phantasms is provisionally established. The next question 
is, What are the conditions ? If we find that the conditions 
are practically the same in all cases, one great step in the 
classification of the phenomena will have been taken. 

The one condition which seems to be necessary in all 
cases for the production of the phenomena is that of profound 
sleep, either natural or artificial. The objective senses must 
be locked in slumber, and the more profound the sleep, 
the greater the power seems to be. Thus, in the cases 
recorded in " Phantasms of the Living," the sleep was nat- 
ural, but profound. It was at least so profound that the 
agent had no recollection of actually doing what he had 
resolved to do, and it was only brought to his knowledge by 
the subsequent statements made by the percipients. It is 
said, however, that sometimes the agent retains full recol- 
lection of what he did. Be this as it may, the fact remains 
that the one essential condition for the successful produc- 
tion of the phenomena is that of sleep. Again, the Orien- 
talists tell us the same thing. Their adepts lock themselves 
in their rooms, which are carefully protected against inva- 
sion, and go into a sleep so profound as to simulate death. 
The witches were known to employ artificial means to pro- 
duce sleep. Formulae for producing what was known as 
" witches' ointment " are still extant. It was composed of 
the most powerful narcotics, made into an ointment by the 
addition of some fatty substance. The body of the witch 
was anointed from head to foot, and she then went to bed 
in some place secure from observation or disturbance, and 
lapsed into a profound sleep. This much is known, and 
many wonderful phenomena are alleged to have been pro- 
duced, prominent among which was the creation of various 
shapes, such as the image of herself, images of cats, dogs, 
wolves, etc., which were sent to worry and annoy her neigh- 



PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. 29 1 

bors or any one against whom she had a grudge. In fact, 
the shapes alleged to have been produced are protean. 

Another alleged phenomenon of cognate character is that 
of so-called spirit materialization. In the production of 
this phenomenon the conditions are the same. The me- 
dium goes into a trance, or hypnotic state, and projects 
the shapes of various persons, generally of the deceased 
friends of some of those present. A good medium will 
produce any number of visions, of any number of persons, 
men and women, large and small. Spiritists believe, of 
course, that the real spirits of their friends are present, 
and are thus made visible to mortal eyes, and in many 
instances tangible, and able to hold a brief conversation 
with their friends. As the intellectual part of the per- 
formance of these alleged spirits is always on a par with 
that of other forms of spirit manifestation, subject to the 
same limitations and governed by the same laws, we must 
come to the same conclusion as to their origin, namely, that, 
whatever it may be, it is not due to spirits of the dead. 

The old stories of the power of magicians to conjure 
alleged spirits are also raised into the region of probability 
by these considerations. They also observed the same con- 
ditions required in all the other cases mentioned. By the 
performance of certain impressive ceremonies, which they 
were taught to believe were necessary, they were said to be 
able to evoke so-called spirits and to do many other wonder- 
ful things. The ceremonies and incantations, together with 
the impressive environment with which they surrounded 
themselves, the incense, the slow music, the " dim religious 
light," the solemn invocations, — all had a tendency to throw 
them into the subjective condition, and thus enable them 
to evoke the shapes desired. That these shapes were lit- 
eral creations of the subjective personality of the magician, 
rather than the actual spirits invoked, there is every reason 
to believe. Nor are we alone in that opinion. Eliphas 
Levi, than whom no modern writer on the subject of magic 
is better informed or more honest in the expression of his 
real convictions, gives utterance to the following : — 



J92 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

" Human thought creates what it imagines ; the phantoms 
of superstition project their real deformity in the Astral Light, 
and live by the very terrors they produce. They owe their being 
to the delusions of imagination and to the aberration of the 
senses, and are never produced in the presence of any one who 
knows and can expose the mystery of their monstrous birth." 1 

Again, on page 1 60, he says : — 

" The evokers of the Devil must before all things belong to 
a religion which believes in a Devil who is the rival of God. To 
have recourse to a power, we must believe in it. A firm faith 
being therefore granted in the religion of Satan, here is the 
method of communicating with this pseudo-god : — 

Magical Axiom. 

Within the circle of its action, every Logos creates what it affirms. 

Direct Consequence. 

He who affirms the Devil creates the Devil." 

The author then goes on to give minute directions for 
performing the ceremonies necessary for raising the Devil, 
so to speak, with which we have nothing to do at present ; 
these quotations being made merely for the purpose of 
showing that the greatest and most philosophical magician 
of this century was fully aware that the shapes evoked by 
the Magi, whether they be of angels or of demons, whether 
they be perceptible to the objective senses or merely sub- 
jective hallucinations, tangible or intangible, are the crea- 
tions of the mind of the magician. 

The phenomenon of crystal vision is another illustration 
of the power of the subjective mind to create visions. Or- 
dinarily these visions are only perceptible to the operator ; 
but cases are recorded where they were perfectly percep- 
tible to the bystanders. The conditions necessary for suc- 
cessful crystal reading are practically the same as in all 
other cases, although the subjective condition is not ordi- 
narily so pronounced. This phenomenon illustrates, how- 
ever, the power of the subjective mind to create phantasms, 
and constitutes one of the many methods of bringing the 

1 Eliphas Levi : Waite's Digest, p. 118. 



PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. 293 

operations of the subjective mind above the threshold of 
consciousness. It is one of the best methods known of 
exercising the power of telepathy, the visions being objec- 
tive reproductions of what is real or perceived in the mind 
of the person who consults the medium. If no one is pres- 
ent besides the medium or operator, he sees merely what 
his own subjective mind creates. It is perhaps superfluous 
to remark that the phenomenon is governed by the same 
laws which pertain to all other subjective phenomena, and 
the intelligence displayed is hedged about by the same 
limitations. 

I have now enumerated several different sub-classes of 
the phenomena which are concerned in the creation of 
visions. In each sub-class instances are recorded of the 
visions being made perceptible to the objective senses of 
others. As remarked in the beginning of this chapter, we 
do not propose to stop to verify the phenomena of each 
class. It is sufficient to know that the phenomena of one 
of the sub-classes is verified by scientific authority. For 
present purposes the rest must stand or fall by that. At 
any rate, we shall assume the right to hold that any cognate 
phenomenon, alleged to have been produced under the same 
conditions as those which have been demonstrated to be 
veridical, is entitled to tentative consideration and credit. 

It is assumed, therefore, that the following propositions 
are sufficiently verified for the purpose of formulating a 
definite theory of proximate causation : — 

1. The alleged phenomena are all produced under the 
same conditions. 

2. The one essential condition is that of the partial or 
total suspension of objective consciousness. 

3. The more complete the extinction of the objective 
consciousness, the more pronounced the success of the ex- 
periment ; that is, the more tangible to the objective senses 
of others do the creations become. 

From these facts it is fair to conclude, — 
1. That the power to create phantasms resides and is 
inherent in the subjective mind, or personality, of man. 



294 THE LAW 0F PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

2. That the power becomes greater as the body ap- 
proaches nearer to the condition of death; that is, as the 
subjective, or hypnotic, condition becomes deeper, and the 
subjective personality in consequence becomes stronger in 
its sphere of activity. 

3. That at the hour of death, or when the functions of 
the body are entirely suspended, the power is greatest. 

Hence, ghosts. 

It will be understood from the foregoing that my theory 
is that ghosts, or phantasms of the dead, are produced ex- 
actly as phantasms of the living are produced ; that is, they 
are creations of the subjective entity. How they are cre- 
ated is of course a question that may never be answered 
in terms comprehensible by the objective intelligence of 
man. It is as far beyond our finite comprehension as are 
the processes by which the Infinite Mind has brought the 
universe into being. All that we can know is the fact that 
phantasms are created by some power inherent in the sub- 
jective personality of man. They may be called " embodied 
thoughts," as man may be called the embodied thought of 
God. If, as the Scriptures teach us, " we are gods," that 
is, " sons of God " and " heirs of God and joint-heirs with 
Jesus Christ," it is fair to presume that that part of the 
Infinite which is embodied in each of us must partake, to 
a limited extent, of His power to create. Experimental 
psychology suggests to us that we have that power, and 
that it is thus that phantasms are produced. 

To the supposition that phantasms of the dead are thus 
created is opposed but one other hypothesis, and that is, 
that the phantasms are the real spirits of the dead per- 
sons whom they represent. Granted that ghosts do exist 
and make themselves manifest to the living, one or the 
other of these hypotheses must be true, and the other 
false. To determine which is true, we must have recourse 
to the ghosts themselves; that is, we must collate the 
facts regarding the characteristics of these supposed dwel- 
lers on the border-land, and ask ourselves whether their 
known and admitted characteristics are those which would 



b PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. 295 

naturally belong to the real spirit of a man, or to an 
embodied thought of a man. 

The salient characteristics which seem to belong to all 
ghosts, and which pertain to the question under considera- 
tion, are these : — 

The ghosts which are best authenticated and which seem 
to possess the greatest longevity, so to speak, — that is, the 
greatest persistency of power and purpose, — are of those 
who have died violent deaths. There are exceptions to this 
rule, which will be noted later on. 

The generally accepted theory which has been employed 
to account for this coincidence is that the soul, thus torn 
suddenly and prematurely from the body, retains more of 
the material elements of the body than it does when death 
is the result of gradual disintegration and the natural sepa- 
ration of the material from the immaterial. It is thought 
that the physical elements thus retained temporarily by 
the spirit enable it to make itself visible to the living, 
as well as to perform certain feats of physical strength 
attributed to some spirits. This is very plausible at first 
glance, and in the absence of any facts to the contrary 
might be accepted as the true theory. But, as before 
intimated, there are exceptions to the supposed rule. It 
is not true that all ghosts are those of persons who have 
died violent deaths. On the contrary, many of the best 
authenticated ghosts are of .persons who have died at a good 
old age and in the due course of nature. Moreover, there 
is nothing to distinguish the one class of ghosts from the 
other, although it is true that those who have met death by 
violence far outnumber the others. This theory, therefore, 
accounts for nothing. Nevertheless, the fact that the major- 
ity of ghosts are of those who belong to a particular class 
must possess some significance. Now, if we can discover 
some state of facts which appears to accompany all, or 
to precede all, ghostly phenomena, a great point will be 
gained, and the real significance of the other facts may 
become apparent. 

In looking the field over with this end in view, the first 



296 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

fact which forces itself upon our attention, and which seems 
to be universal and to possess a veritable significance, is 
that all phantasms of the dead are of those who have died 
under circumstances of gi'eat mental stress or emotion. No 
one whose death was peaceful and quiet, no one who left 
this life with no unsatisfied longing or desire present in the 
mind at the time of death, ever projected a phantasm upon 
the living objective world. 

Again, the strength, persistency, and objectivity of the 
phantasm seem to be in exact proportion to the intensity 
of the emotion experienced at the moment of death. 

It will thus be apparent why it happens that ghosts of 
those who have died violent deaths more frequently " re- 
visit the glimpses of the moon " than those whose deaths 
have been less tragic and less calculated to inspire an in- 
tense desire or emotion. The murdered man feels, at the 
supreme moment, an intense longing to acquaint the world 
with the circumstances of his " taking off; " and he conceives 
the thought of reproducing the scene on the spot until its 
significance is understood and the murderer is brought to 
justice. The result is a haunted house ; and those whose 
nerves are strong enough to withstand the shock may nightly 
witness a realistic reproduction of the tragedy. This may 
continue for days, months, or even years, but invariably 
ceases when the object is accomplished. 

The character of the manifestations is as varied as are 
the phases of human emotion or the objects of human 
desire ; but when the facts of a tragedy once come to 
light, the phantasm is always found to be significant of 
their important features. 

When a mother dies at a distance from her children, she 
is often filled with an intense longing to see them once 
more before she passes away. The result often is that she 
projects a phantasm into their presence which takes a 
lingering look into the faces of the loved ones, and then 
fades away. 

Two persons agree that whichever passes away first shall 
show himself to the other at or soon after the hour of death. 



PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. 29? 

The result often is that the agreement is carried out with 
startling fidelity. The object accomplished, the phantasm 
disappears forever. 

Another salient characteristic, which seems to be uni- 
versal and which possesses the utmost interest and impor- 
tance in determining the true source of the phantasm, is 
that it possesses no general intelligence. That is to say, 
a ghost was never known to have more than one idea or 
purpose. That one idea or purpose it will follow with the 
greatest pertinacity, but utterly ignores everything else. In 
the rare instances where the phantasm has been conversed 
with, it manifests perfect intelligence on the one subject, but 
pays not the slightest attention to any question pertaining to 
any other, not even to cognate subjects. This characteristic 
pertains to every form and phase of visions which are tan- 
gible to the objective senses. Subjective hallucinations are 
governed by different laws, and are not taken into account in 
this connection. 

M. Adolphe d'Assier, in his intensely interesting work 
entitled " Posthumous Humanity," mentions this peculiarity 
in a number of instances. Thus, on page 272 he says : 

" The shade only talks about its personal predilections, and 
remains deaf to every question outside the limits it has prescribed 
for itself. All the colloquies that have been gathered upon this 
subject resemble that of Bezuel and Desfontaine (1697), reported 
by Dr. Briere de Boismont. They were two college comrades, 
two intimate friends, who had sworn to each other that the first 
who died should appear to the other to give him some news about 
himself." 

Accordingly, the year following, the shade of Desfontaine 
appeared to Bezuel, and addressed him as follows : — 

" ' I agreed with you that if I died first I should come and tell 
you. I was drowned in the Caen River the day before yesterday, 
at this same hour, in company of Such and Such ; ' and he re- 
lated the circumstances which caused his death. ' It was his 
very voice,' says Bezuel. ' He requested me, when his brother 
should return, to tell him certain things to be communicated to 
his father and mother. He gave me other commissions, then 



298 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

bade me farewell and disappeared. I soon learned that every« 
thing he had told me was but too true, and I was able to verify 
some details that he had given. In our conversation he refused 
to answer all the questions I put to him as to his actual situa- 
tion, especially whether he was in heaven, in hell, or in purgatory. 
One would have said that he did not hear me when I put such 
questions, and he persisted in talking to me of that which was 
upon his mind about his brother, his family, or the circumstances 
which had preceded his death.' " 

It should be stated, in this connection, that this phantom 
does not appear to have been seen objectively by any one, 
save, possibly, by Bezuel himself. Others were present, 
who saw Bezuel apparently engaged in conversation with 
some invisible being. They could hear Bezuel's words, but 
neither saw nor heard those of the phantom. It seems 
probable, therefore, that it was a case of telepathic com- 
munion pure and simple ; but it illustrates our point just as 
well as if it had been what it appeared to Bezuel to be, — 
a veritable apparition, perceptible to the objective senses. 
Moreover, it was a case of deferred percipience, — the 
death having occurred two days previously, — and is there- 
fore more strongly illustrative of our position, as will pre- 
sently be seen. 

A moment's reflection will show how impossible it would 
be for the agent, in conveying a telepathic message on a 
given subject, especially in a case of deferred percipience, 
to do anything more than convey the message. When 
the agent has sent the message, the transaction is ended, so 
far as he is concerned. When the message rises above the 
threshold of the consciousness of the percipient, and he 
begins to ask questions foreign to the subject of the mes- 
sage, there is no one to answer them ; the agent is no 
longer in telepathic rapport with him. It is just the same 
as if one should send a telegram to another on a given 
subject, and then disappear. The recipient of a message 
might ask all the questions he chose, on that or any other 
subject, but he could get no reply, for the reason that the 
original sender is out of reach. 



PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. 



299 



It might be possible, if both the agent and the percipient 
were in the proper mental condition at the same time, for 
them to hold a general conversation ; but we know of no 
recorded case of the kind. In all reported cases the agent 
telepaths the message, and the percipient takes cognizance 
of it by means of clairaudience, or by seeing a vision 
illustrating it, as the case may be, and that ends it. The 
message is a thought of the agent projected into the con- 
sciousness of the percipient through the medium of his 
subjective mind. When the message has once risen into 
the consciousness of the percipient, he is apparently no 
longer in a mental condition to communicate with the 
agent telepathically. At least, he never does so commu- 
nicate, with the result of receiving further information in 
reply. 

In the case under consideration the agent had been dead 
two days when the message was received by the percipient. 
If it was a telepathic message projected at the hour of 
death by the agent, it was manifestly impossible, for the rea- 
sons before stated, for him to respond to questions foreign 
to the subject of the message. If, on the other hand, the 
apparition was the real phantom, or spirit, of the deceased, 
it could have conveyed any information desired. The fact 
that it could not do so shows conclusively that said phantom 
was merely the embodied thought of the deceased, pro- 
jected at the supreme moment for a specific purpose. 

M. d'Assier affirms that the case here related is typical 
of all messages delivered by ghosts; that is, that they 
are apparently never able to enter into a general dis- 
cussion of matters outside of the one dominant idea which 
called them into being. The history of all phantoms, so 
far as our reading extends, confirms the statement. 

From these premises two conclusions seem inevitable : 

1. That a phantom, whether it be of the living or of the 
dead, whether it is perceived subjectively or objectively, is 
not the subjective entity, or soul, of the person it repre- 
sents. If it were, it would necessarily possess all the 
intelligence belonging to that person, and would, conse- 



300 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

quently, be able and willing to answer any and all questions 
propounded by the percipient. It is simply impossible to 
conceive any valid reason for the refusal of a friend or rela- 
tive of the percipient to answer questions of vital interest 
and importance to all mankind. 

2. The second conclusion is, that a phantom, or ghost, is 
nothing more or less than an intensified telepathic vision, 
its objectivity, power, persistency, and permanence being 
in exact proportion to the intensity of the emotion and 
desire which called it into being. It is the embodiment of 
an idea or thought. It is endowed with the intelligence 
pertaining to that one thought, and no more. Hence the 
astonishing limitations of the intelligence of ghosts, before 
noted. 

The difference between a telepathic vision transmitted 
from one living man to another, and a phantom, or ghost, of 
a deceased person, is one of degree, and not of kind ; of 
species, but not of genus. Both are creations of the sub- 
jective mind \ both are created for the purpose of convey- 
ing intelligence to others. In each case the vision ceases 
the moment the object of its creation is accomplished. In 
telepathy between two living persons, the vision is created, 
and the intelligence is communicated direct to the percip- 
ient. Its mission accomplished, it fades away. It seldom 
displays physical power or becomes perceptible to the touch, 
although there are exceptions to the rule. (See the cases 
noted in a former chapter.) The reasons are : (i) that the 
emotions and desires which call it into being are seldom of 
great intensity, compared with the emotions of a man dying 
by violence; (2) that the conditions are not so favorable 
in a living person, in normal health, as they are in one 
whose objective senses are being closed in death ; (3) that 
the object for which it was created being easily and quickly 
accomplished, and there being no further reason for its 
existence, it fades away, in accordance with the laws of its 
being. 

On the other hand, the phantom of the dead is produced 
under the most favorable conditions. The objective senses 



PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. 3OI 

are being closed in death. The emotions attending a death 
by violence are necessarily of the most intense character. 
The desire to acquaint the world with the circumstances 
attending the tragedy is overwhelming. The message is 
not for a single individual, but to all whom it may concern. 
Hence the ghost does not travel from place to place, and 
show itself promiscuously, but confines its operations to 
the locality, and generally to the room in which the death- 
scene occurred. There it will remain, nightly rehearsing 
the tragedy, for days and months and years, or until some 
one with nerves strong enough demands to know the object 
of its quest. When this is done, the information will be 
given, and then the phantom will fade away forever. 

We have supposed two extreme cases, — one, a simple 
case of experimental telepathy, and one, of a death by vio- 
lence. Between the two extremes there is every variety 
of manifestation and every grade of power. But they 
are all governed by the same laws and limitations. 

That the posthumous phantom is not the soul, or subjec- 
tive entity, of the deceased, is evidenced by many other 
facts, among which may be mentioned the following : — 

1. It is not controllable by suggestion. This is abun- 
dantly shown by what has been said regarding its persis- 
tency in following the one idea which it represents, and 
ignoring every effort to obtain information pertaining to 
other matters. This peculiarity characterizes every phan- 
tasm, whether of the living or of the dead. Again, no 
ghost was ever laid by the power of exorcism until the 
object of its existence was accomplished. Obsessing spirits, 
so-called, can be exorcised, because the exorcist is dealing 
directly with the subjective mind of the obsessed, and 
amenability to control by suggestion is the law of its being. 
But a ghost is not amenable to that law; it cannot be 
scolded out of existence before the object of its existence 
has been accomplished. In this, therefore, the phantom 
possesses the characteristics which might be expected to 
distinguish an embodied thought of a soul from the soul 
itself. 



302 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

2. If we are to suppose a phantom to be the soul of the 
person it represents, we must also be prepared to believe 
that inanimate things and animals possess souls. Ghosts, 
it will be remembered, are always well provided with wear- 
ing apparel. We must therefore suppose clothes to have 
souls, and that the soul of the dead, or dying, man provides 
himself with an outfit of the souls of his hat, coat, trousers, 
boots, etc. Moreover, ghosts are frequently seen riding in 
ghostly turnouts, comprising horses, carriage, harness, and 
all the paraphernalia of a first-class establishment. Are we 
to suppose that the souls of all these things are pressed into 
the service of the nocturnal visitant ? The same is true of 
telepathic visions of all grades and kinds. In this, again, 
the vision, or phantom, possesses the characteristics which 
one can easily attribute to an embodied thought- creation, 
but not to the actual soul of a person, living or dead. 

3. Another peculiarity of ghosts is that they invariably 
disappear, never to return, when the building which was the 
scene of their visitation has been destroyed. Another 
building may be erected on the same spot, but the ghost 
never reappears. There must be some valid reason for 
this, for it is impossible to attribute to coincidence that 
which so frequently and invariably happens. It would seem 
to be but another limitation of the power and intelligence 
of the embodied thought. Its mission seems to be confined, 
not only to conveying the one item of intelligence, but to 
the actual scene of the tragedy. The effect of changing 
the physical environment appears to have the same effect 
as an attempt to change the current of its thought by ask- 
ing a question foreign to it. It disappears. Now, it is im- 
possible to conceive of an intelligent entity, in full posses- 
sion of all the faculties and attributes of a human soul, 
being so easily diverted from the pursuit of a given object. 

4. M. d'Assier arrives at two conclusions regarding 
ghosts, neither of which can afford any satisfaction to those 
who seek, in their manifestations, for evidence of a happy 
or a continued life beyond the grave. One is that the con- 
tinued existence of the shade is a burden too grievous to 



PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. 303 

be borne ; and the other is that it eventually disappears by 
atomic dispersion, and loses its identity. On page 270 of 
"Posthumous Humanity " he says : — 

" Most of the manifestations by which the shades reveal 
themselves seem to indicate that the posthumous existence is a 
burden." 

Again, on page 273, he says : — 

" To sum up, one may say that the impression left upon the 
mind by the lamentations and rare replies of those shades who 
succeed in making themselves heard is almost always a senti- 
ment of profound sadness." 

On page 274 he has the following to say regarding the 
ultimate fate of posthumous man : — 

" I have said that the existence of the shade is but a brief 
one. Its tissue disintegrates readily under the action of the 
physical, chemical, and atmospheric forces which constantly 
assail it, and it re-enters, molecule by molecule, the universal 
planetary medium. Occasionally, however, it resists these de- 
structive causes, continuing its struggle for existence beyond 
the tomb." 

M. d'Assier is undoubtedly right regarding his facts, 
but wrong in his interpretation of those facts, and conse- 
quently wrong in his conclusions. 

It is undoubtedly true that the shade is always imbued 
with a sentiment of profound sadness. The circumstances 
under which it is produced, and the emotions and desires 
which call it into being, are necessarily of such a character 
as to project a profoundly sad thought. And this fact is 
another evidence of its being an embodied thought, rather 
than a human soul. If it were the latter, it would be subject 
to varying moods and emotions, modified by its environ- 
ment for the time being. But, being an embodied thought, 
it never changes its attitude or sentiment, but goes on in 
its predetermined line of action, regardless of its surround- 
ings and utterly oblivious of anything which may be said or 
done to divert it. Truly, "thoughts are things." 



304 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

Again, M. d'Assier is right in his declaration that the 
shade sustains but a comparatively brief existence. Some 
ghosts persist for years, it is true, in haunting a given spot, 
but they all eventually disintegrate. Their capacity for con- 
tinued existence depends upon the intensity of the emo- 
tion which produces them. Their actual longevity depends 
largely upon the importance of the thought or message 
which they personate. It depends principally, however, 
upon the successful performance of its mission. When 
that is accomplished, it disappears at once and forever. 
As has already been pointed out, an ordinary telepathic 
message between two individuals disappears at once upon 
its successful delivery; whereas a phantom of the dead 
may persist in haunting one spot for years. It will, how- 
ever, eventually disintegrate and disappear, even if its mis- 
sion has proved to be a failure. 

If we are to consider, as M. d'Assier evidently does, the 
shade of a deceased person to be the soul of such person, 
we must arrive at the same conclusion that he has reached ; 
namely, that posthumous existence is a burden, and that it 
is but a brief one at most. According to his view, the evi- 
dence of the phantom negatives the idea of a continued 
existence after the death of the body. According to our 
view, it neither proves nor disproves immortality ; it leaves 
that question just where it found it. Like all so-called 
spiritual manifestations, it adds nothing to our stock of 
knowledge of what is in store for us beyond the grave. 
We must still look for immortality with the eye of faith 
alone, relying on the promises of the Master. 

There is another alleged phenomenon connected with 
this general subject which deserves a passing notice. I 
refer to the popular belief that certain houses are pervaded 
by a mental atmosphere, so to speak, which corresponds 
to the mental condition of those who have inhabited it. 
There are many sensitive persons who, upon moving into 
a strange house or room, are influenced apparently by 
the mental attitude of those who previously occupied the 
premises. This is especially true if the former inhabitants 



PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. 305 

were the victims of any great sorrow or strong emotion of 
any kind whatever. The influence is felt sometimes for 
years, and is frequently of such a character and force as 
to compel the victim to vacate the premises. No ghost is 
seen or heard, but the influence is felt, and cannot be 
thrown off. Doubtless many such experiences may be at- 
tributed to suggestion, — the person having been informed 
of some tragic event which once happened on the premises. 
But many cases are recorded which cannot be thus ex- 
plained. Cases are numerous where the percipient knew 
nothing whatever of the history of the house or of its former 
inhabitants. 

The phenomenon is explained by spiritists by referring it 
to the agency of spirits of the dead. Others explain it on 
the theory of psychometry. That the latter explanation is 
not the true one is evidenced by the fact that psychometry 
itself is explicable on the well-known principles of tele- 
pathy. That the spirit hypothesis is not the true one is 
evidenced by the fact that the influence is felt when there 
has been no death on the premises, — when all the former 
inhabitants of the house are still alive. Nor is the influence 
necessarily a bad one. Thus, a lady of my acquaintance, 
who is peculiarly sensitive to psychic impressions, informs 
me that in one house, which she occupied some years ago, 
she was seized with an intense longing to study art. She 
had passed the age at which people usually take up a new 
profession, and she had never been particularly interested 
in art. She had no acquaintances who were artists, and 
there was nothing in her environment specially to attract 
her attention to the subject. Nevertheless, her desire to 
become an artist grew stronger and stronger, until she felt 
forced to yield. She finally employed a teacher, and even- 
tually became very proficient. It was afterwards ascer- 
tained that the tenant who occupied the house before she 
took possession was an enthusiastic devotee of art. He 
was not a particularly good artist, but his whole soul was 
bound up in his profession. 

The same lady occupied a house some years later which 

20 



306 the la w of psychic phenomena. 

she felt obliged to leave, on account of the evil influence 
which it seemed to exert upon her. It was an almost 
ideal house in its appointments and in the arrangement 
of its rooms ; and when she first entered it she was en- 
thusiastic in her admiration of it. But she never spent 
a comfortable day in that house. Naturally of a cheerful 
and happy disposition, she became gloomy and despon- 
dent, without any apparent cause, and was at last forced to 
yield to her feelings and vacate the premises. An inquiry 
into the history of the house revealed the fact that it had 
formerly been occupied by a lady whose husband had ill- 
treated her, and had finally deserted her, under circum- 
stances of peculiar atrocity, to live with a mistress. The 
history of that house from the time when the afflicted lady 
left it has been one of constant change of tenants. Other 
houses in the same row, built upon the same plan and 
owned by the same person, have no such history. No 
death has ever occurred in the house, either tragic or 
otherwise, and consequently it cannot be said to be 
haunted in the ordinary acceptation of the term ; that is, 
by spirits of the dead. 

But is it not haunted, nevertheless? Is it not haunted 
by the thoughts engendered from the mental agony of that 
poor woman whose life was blasted by the perfidy of an 
unfaithful husband, — a man whose subsequent career was 
one of disgrace and infamy? 

I make these suggestions tentatively, and for the purpose 
of directing the attention of those interested to a line of 
investigation which should not be ignored by students of 
the new psychology. It is cognate with the phenomenon 
of haunted houses, and may yet be found to be governed 
by the same laws. If it is true that a visible ghost is but 
an embodied thought of a dying man, may it not be true 
that any great emotion can leave its impress upon the lo- 
cality in which it is experienced ? It may not be visible to 
the objective senses, but it may have the power to impress 
the subjective minds of those who are brought within its 
environment, and to create in them the same emotions as 



PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. 307 

those experienced by the former occupants of the premises. 
It seems to be another form of telepathy, cognate with the 
phantom of the dead, differing only in the strength and 
character of its manifestation. It may not be visible, for 
the reason that the thought cannot be pictured by a vision. 
It may be an abstract thought, idea, or emotion, which can 
be transmitted to others by impression only ; or the emo- 
tion which created it may not have been strong enough to 
project a visible phantom. 

Telepathy, therefore, appears to be divisible into three 
generic classes, differing principally in the methods or 
means of percipience, — the processes of projection being 
the same in all. 

The first is a thought sent from one living person to an- 
other for the purpose of communicating information to that 
one individual. It is perceived by that person only, — 
usually by means of visions, — and it instantly fades away 
when its mission is accomplished. 

The second is a thought sent from a dying person to the 
world at large to communicate some fact of portentous im- 
port. It is sometimes made visible to the objective senses, 
and is always confined to one locality, which it haunts till 
its object is accomplished. 

The third partakes of the characteristics of the first and 
second. It is created by a living person, and is confined 
to one locality. It is not sent to any particular individ- 
ual, but impresses whoever inhabits the house or room it 
haunts. 

It will be understood by the intelligent reader that these 
three classes are not separated by any distinct lines of de- 
marcation, but that each possesses characteristics common 
to the others. 

In concluding this branch of the subject we have but 
one further remark to make concerning those hypothetical 
spirits which are popularly believed to be able to make 
themselves visible to mortal eyes. If it is true that the 
power exists in mankind to create phantoms, to project 
visions which may become visible to others, objectively or 



308 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

subjectively, we have the logical right to infer that all so- 
called spirits, such as elementals, elementaries, et id genus 
omne, are creations of the subjective minds of those who 
believe in their existence. 

As remarked in beginning this chapter, it is written ten- 
tatively, hoping to suggest an enlargement of the field of 
investigation of the subject of telepathy. That power has 
been found to afford an explanation of so much of psychic 
phenomena which had before been referred to extramun- 
dane origin that it seems probable that it may be capable 
of still further service in that direction. The phenomena 
of ghosts and haunted houses seem to be the only demon- 
strated phenomena of which telepathy has not been shown 
to be at least a partial explanation ; and if it can be shown 
that ghosts are also the creations of subjective power, there 
will be nothing left for superstition to fright the world 
withal. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

SUSPENDED ANIMATION AND PREMATURE BURIAL. 

Facts of Startling Import. — The Case of Washington Irving Bishop. 
— Other Instances of Suspended Animation. — Vampirism. -^ 
Catalepsy. — East Indian Fakirs buried alive for Months. — Fun- 
damental Errors. — Catalepsy not a Disease. — A Recuperative 
Agent. — The Law of Suggestion governs the Phenomena. — Sub- 
jective Insensibility impossible. — Suggestion of Death deepens 
the Lethargy. — The Appalling Dangers of Catalepsy. — The 
Proper Treatment. 

'"THERE is another psychic phenomenon which deserves 
* a passing notice at our hands, not only because it is 
governed by the same laws which have been discussed, but 
because it is a matter of transcendent practical interest and 
importance. I refer to the subject of suspended animation, 
and consequent premature burial. 

I know of but one physician in this country who has 
given serious attention to this subject. Nothing in authori- 
tative form has yet appeared from his pen, but I am credibly 
informed that he has collected an array of facts of veritable 
significance. One assertion of startling import is that in 
the United States an average of not less than one case 
a week is discovered and reported. This statement alone 
attests the importance of the subject, although due allow- 
ance must be made for possible exaggeration. Be that as 
it may, the appalling possibility of premature burial as a 
result of a condition so common as catalepsy, the psychic 
aspects of which are so little understood in this country, 
invests the subject with more than ordinary interest. 



3IO THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

The following cases have been personally investigated by 
the writer, and serve to illustrate the dangers which menace 
the cataleptic subject. Names are omitted, at the request 
of the parties interested. 

The first case is that of a young lady, near Indianapolis, 
who came to life after fourteen days of suspended anima- 
tion. Six doctors had applied the usual tests, and pro- 
nounced her dead. Her little brother clung to her, against 
the opinion of the doctors and the will of the parents, and 
frantically declared that she was not dead. In the excite- 
ment the bandage which held her jaw in place was acci- 
dentally pushed aside. The jaw fell, and the brother fancied 
that he saw his sister's tongue moving slowly. 

"What do you want, sister? " cried the little fellow. 

"Water," was the faint answer from the supposed corpse. 

Water was administered, the patient revived, and is yet 
living. 

A lady who is now at the head of one of the largest 
orphan asylums of a Western city has been twice pronounced 
dead by the attending physicians, twice prepared for the 
grave, and twice resuscitated by her friends. On the last 
occasion extraordinary precautions were taken, in view of 
her former experience. All the tests known to her physi- 
cians were applied, and all doubts were set at rest. She 
was a second time professionally declared to be dead, and 
the physicians left the house. In preparing the body for 
burial it was accidentally pricked by a pin. Soon afterwards 
it was discovered that a small drop of blood marked the 
spot where the pin entered. This once more roused the 
hope of the family, and vigorous treatment soon restored 
her to consciousness. She is living to-day, a vigorous, use- 
ful woman. It is proper to note here that upon being 
restored, the lady declared that she had never for a moment 
lost consciousness, that she knew all that went on around 
her, perfectly comprehended the significance of all the tests 
which were applied, but felt the utmost indifference as to 
the result, and was neither surprised nor alarmed when it 
was decided that she was dead. 



SUSPENDED ANIMATION, ETC. 311 

A few years ago, a gentleman of Harrisburg, Pa., appar- 
ently died after a long period of suffering from inflammatory 
rheumatism, complicated with heart trouble. Preparations 
were made for the funeral ; but his wife refused to allow the 
body to be packed in ice, fearing the possibility of a prema- 
ture burial, and announced her determination to keep it for 
at least a week. The next day her hopes were realized by 
finding her husband with his eyes wide open, and one of his 
arms out of the position in which it had been placed. She 
called loudly for him to* arise, and with assistance he did so, 
and was placed in a chair. Physicians were summoned, but 
before their arrival he was so far recovered that their aid 
was unnecessary, and he soon recovered from his illness. 
He states that during the time of suspended animation he 
was perfectly cognizant of all that occurred around him, 
heard the lamentations of the stricken family and the prepa- 
rations for burial, but was unable to move a muscle or utter 
a sound. 

The reading public has not forgotten the death of Wash- 
ington Irving Bishop, the celebrated mind-reader, which 
occurred under circumstances that called forth the decla- 
ration on the part of his friends and relatives that he was 
not dead before the surgeon's knife penetrated his brain ; 
that on several previous occasions he had been in a cata- 
leptic state, resembling death, for many hours at a time; 
and that on one of these occasions his attending physicians 
had pronounced him dead. The public will not soon forget 
the thrill of horror which was felt when it was learned with 
what unseemly haste an autopsy was performed upon that 
unfortunate man. 

These are not exceptional cases, nor is the phenomenon 
of modern origin. It can be traced back through all the 
ages of which there are records preserved, until it is lost in 
the twilight of tradition and fable. 

In all human probability the ancient belief in vampirism 
had its origin in discovered cases of suspended animation. 
It will be remembered that whenever a corpse was suspected 
of being a vampire, the grave was opened and the body Was 



312 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

examined. If it showed no signs of decomposition, the fact 
was held to be indubitable evidence of guilt. The punish- 
ment was summary, and fully as effective as a modern au- 
topsy ; it consisted in driving a stake through the heart. 
This simple process effectually laid the " vampire ghost," 
and it no longer possessed the power to " suck the blood of 
the living," and thus " continue to live on in the grave," to 
use the language of an ancient official document defining 
the characteristics of a vampire. 

Revolting and gross as was the superstition relating to 
vampirism, is it not possible that, like most legendary tales, 
it had a basis of truth, and that an essential part of that 
truth consisted, as before remarked, of the fact that the 
cases referred to were cases of suspended animation ? Many 
cases are reported which appear to be well authenticated, 
and they all seem to sustain this theory. One case (which 
was officially attested) is related, where the body of a man 
suspected of vampirism was exhumed after it had lain in 
the grave three weeks. No signs of decomposition being 
visible, a stake was driven through the heart, " upon which," 
says the report, " fresh blood gushed from the mouth and 
ears." 

Another case is mentioned of one Arnold Paul, a Hunga- 
rian, whose body was exhumed after it had been buried forty 
days. " His body," says the narrator, " was red ; his hair, 
nails, and beard had grown again, and his veins were replete 
with fluid blood." The stake was brought into requisition, 
and as it pierced his heart, he " uttered a frightful shriek, 
as if he had been alive." 

Two erroneous impressions very generally prevail regard- 
ing catalepsy, or suspended animation. One is that depriv- 
ing the subject of air will cause death in a few hours. 
Another is that catalepsy is a disease, or is always the 
result of disease. Both of these hypotheses are clearly 
disproved by the well-known experiments of the East Indian 
fakirs. 

One of the most clearly attested instances of the kind 
alluded to is the experiment of the Fakir of Lahore, who, at 



SUSPENDED ANIMATION, ETC. 313 

the instance of Runjeet Singh, suffered himself to be buried 
alive in an air-tight vault for a period of six weeks. This 
case was thoroughly authenticated by Sir Claude Wade, the 
then British Resident at the court of Loodhiana. The fakir's 
nostrils and ears were first filled with wax; he was then 
placed in a linen bag, then deposited in a wooden box 
which was securely locked, and the box was deposited in a 
brick vault which was carefully plastered up with mortar and 
sealed with the Rajah's seal. A guard of British soldiers 
was then detailed to watch the vault day and night. At the 
end of the prescribed time the vault was opened in the 
presence of Sir Claude and Runjeet Singh, and the fakir 
was restored to consciousness. 

Lieutenant Boileau relates another instance where a man 
suffered himself to be buried for a period of ten days in a 
grave lined with masonry and covered with a large slab of 
stone, the whole strictly guarded day and night. On being 
restored to consciousness, the man offered to submit to 
burial for a year, if the lieutenant so desired. 

Many other well-authenticated instances are related by 
British residents in India, but these must suffice. In all 
these cases the subjects were in perfect health when the 
experiments were made, and in each instance the body, 
when disinterred, was found to present all the characteris- 
tics indicating death, except decomposition. 

Volumes might be filled with well-authenticated cases of 
suspended animation, varying in duration from a few hours 
to many months ; but it would be foreign to the purpose of 
this chapter to cite any. Sufficient instances have been 
given to illustrate the points which I shall attempt to make, 
as well as to show the intrinsic importance of the subject 
and the danger to be apprehended from ignorance of the 
psychic principles involved. 

The fundamental error into which many physicians have 
fallen consists in the assumption that catalepsy is, per se, a 
disease. It must be said, however, to the credit of the pro- 
fession, that no one pretends to understand it. Most medi- 
cal writers confess that if it is a disease, it is one of which 



314 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

the pathology is but little understood by the profession, and 
they aver that morbid anatomy throws no light upon it what- 
ever. In fact, some well-known writers have doubted its 
existence, and have attributed the recorded cases to gross 
imposture. It is, however, generally held to be a functional 
nervous disorder ; but the tendency of modern investigation 
is in the direction of its psychic aspects, and moral means 
are now largely employed in its treatment by the best 
physicians. 

The truth appears to be that catalepsy is not a disease in 
any proper sense of the word. The most that can be said 
is that it may be considered a symptom of certain diseases. 
That is to say, inasmuch as it commonly attacks those who 
are suffering from certain nervous disorders, it might be said 
to be a symptom indicating the presence of such disorders. 
But, I repeat, it is not a disease per se ; and one prominent 
medical authority goes so far as to admit that "in itself 
catalepsy is never fatal." He might have gone further, 
and said that other diseases are rarely fatal when catalepsy 
supervenes. 

Catalepsy belongs exclusively to the domain of hypnotism. 
I employ this term in the broadest significance of its Greek 
radix; for no matter how the condition is induced, it is 
purely a sleep of the objective senses, a suspension of the 
vital functions, a rest of all the vital organs. It can be 
induced in perfectly healthy persons by the hypnotic pro- 
cesses on the one hand, or, on the other, it may supervene 
after a long period of illness or nervous exhaustion. In 
both cases the phenomenon is the same ; and when the 
patient is intelligently treated, the effect is always salutary. 
It is, in the highest sense of the phrase, a manifestation of 
the vis consetvatrix natures, ; it is, of a truth, " tired nature's 
sweet restorer, balmy sleep." 

Catalepsy is always easily induced in a hypnotic subject 
by the ordinary processes known to hypnotists, and the nor- 
mal condition is as easily restored. It is always refreshing 
to the subject, especially when he is exhausted by mental or 
physical labor, — far more so than is ordinary sleep of the 



SUSPENDED ANIMATION, ETC. 315 

same duration. The same is true of the catalepsy which 
supervenes after a long period of illness or of nervous 
exhaustion. That this statement is true of the first class, 
we have the testimony of all who have been subjects of 
intelligent experiment. That it is true of the second class 
also, is attested by the fact that suspended animation is 
nearly always followed by the recovery of the patient from 
illness. The cataleptic condition marks the crisis in many 
diseases, especially those of the nerves. If the patient 
is properly managed during that crisis, his convalescence 
is assured. 

Catalepsy may properly be divided into four classes, differ- 
ing from one another only in the causes which induce the 
condition. The first is catalepsy from hypnotic suggestion ; 
the second, epidemic catalepsy; the third, self-induced 
catalepsy; the fourth, catalepsy arising from disease or 
nervous exhaustion. Suggestion is the all-potent factor in 
the production of the catalepsy of the first three classes, as 
it is in the production of all other hypnotic phenomena. 
The suggestion may come, first, from an operator who pur- 
posely induces the condition as an experiment. Secondly, 
it may arise from the patient seeing other cataleptic sub- 
jects. In such cases, catalepsy may run through a whole 
school or a neighborhood, precisely as does epidemic in- 
sanity, St. Vitus's dance, and many other nervous troubles. 
"Imitation," or the disposition to imitate, has generally 
been assigned as the cause of such manifestations becoming 
epidemic among children. But this is a palpable error. It 
arises rather from the fear that each one feels — the mental 
suggestion that each one makes — that he or she may be 
the next victim. Thirdly, self-induced catalepsy is illus- 
trated in the experiments of the East Indian fakirs, and 
arises from auto-suggestion. In these cases the condition 
is purely hypnotic, and is self-induced by simple processes, 
well known to all who have made an intelligent study of 
hypnotism as practised in the Orient. 

It is not, however, with these classes that we have to deal 
in this chapter, but rather with cases which arise from dis- 



3l6 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

ease or nervous exhaustion. In such cases, suggestion can 
hardly be considered as an initial cause, although, as we 
shall see further on, it is a potent factor in deepening, pro- 
longing, and terminating the condition. 

I have said that catalepsy marks the crisis in certain dis- 
eases. It is, in fact, the supreme effort of nature to give 
the exhausted nerves their needed rest. When this fact is 
once appreciated, and the patient is intelligently treated on 
its basis, much needless alarm will be saved, and many fatal 
errors will be avoided. The patient in that condition is 
enjoying absolute rest. All the vital processes are practi- 
cally suspended. He is free from all pain, and is enjoying 
a refreshing sleep, — a sleep so profound that it may be 
truly likened to its " twin-brother, death." The depth and 
duration of the trance will depend upon the necessities of 
the case. That is to say, it will be proportioned to the 
severity of the patient's illness, and his consequent need of 
rest and recuperation. 

The primary mistake which many physicians make in 
managing cataleptic patients consists in seeking, by heroic 
treatment, to hasten restoration to consciousness. No 
greater mistake is possible. If the attempt is successful, 
it causes a fearful shock to the nerves, and the effort is 
thwarted which nature is making to relieve the patient and 
give rest to his already overstrained nervous system. If 
it is unsuccessful, the patient is threatened with the danger 
of being buried alive, or of an autopsy. These dangers 
are ever present ; and as long as physicians fail to recog- 
nize the pregnant fact that an advanced stage of decom- 
position is the only infallible test of death, just so long will 
the human race be menaced with the horrors of premature 
burial. 

The most important branch, however, of the subject of 
catalepsy is that pertaining to its psychological features. I 
have said that catalepsy belongs to the domain of hypno- 
tism. I mean by this, not only that the phenomenon is 
identical with the condition which can be produced by the 
ordinary hypnotic processes, but that the cataleptic patient 



SUSPENDED ANIMATION, ETC. 3 17 

is amenable to precisely the same psychological laws which 
govern the ordinary hypnotic subject. 

The two fundamental propositions which bear upon this 
subject are the following : — 

First; a patient in a case of suspended animation or cata- 
lepsy, induced by disease or nervous exhaustion, is amen- 
able to control by suggestion precisely as he is in" the 
ordinary hypnotic state. 

Second, a patient in that condition is always conscious, 
subjectively, of all that happens around him. That is to 
^ay, no matter how profoundly the objective senses are 
locked in slumber, the subjective faculties are ever alert, 
and the subject recognizes, often with great acuteness, 
everything that goes on around him. This fact is not 
always recognized by hypnotists, and it is safe to say that 
ignorance of this one truth has been the source of more 
erroneous conclusions regarding the significance of hypnotic 
phenomena than all other causes combined. Hundreds of 
cases are reported where the patients noted all the prepara- 
tions for burial and all that was said and done, and yet 
were unable to move or make the fact known that they 
were alive. This seems to be the universal testimony, 
although it is possible that the patient might not, in all 
cases, remember what he had experienced. In fact, it is 
common for hypnotic subjects to forget their experiences 
during the sleep ; but that does not militate against the fact 
that they were subjectively conscious at that time. 

The conclusions derivable from these premises are as 
important as they are obvious. The first and most vital 
is that when a patient is suffering from a disease which 
will induce catalepsy, and begins to enter that state, the 
usual remarks and conversation of those at the bedside 
must inevitably tend to deepen and prolong the lethargy. 
The patient appears to be dying. The friends, by word 
and action, are conveying the impression that death is at 
hand. The physician feels the pulse, which grows fainter 
and fainter, until it is no longer perceptible. He examines 
the heart until its pulsations cease. Finally, he turns to the 



3 l8 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

stricken friends, and in a solemn voice announces that all 
is over, — the patient is dead. Now, if it happens that it 
is merely a case of catalepsy, or suspended animation, the 
announcement by the physician that the patient is dead is 
an all-potent suggestion which is, and must inevitably be, 
seized upon by the subject and carried to its legitimate con- 
clusion. A case of prolonged suspension of animation is the 
inevitable result, as the laws of hypnotism teach, if they teach 
anything. The patient actually believes that he is dead. The 
statement of this proposition seems almost ridiculous ; but 
when it is remembered that no suggestion seems absurd or^ 
incongruous to the hypnotic subject, the proposition is seen 
at once to be an absolute verity. Who has not dreamed of 
being dead ? Few, if any, have not had this experience ; 
and yet the incongruity of the two ideas — of being dead 
and of calmly reflecting on the subject — never strikes the 
dreamer's subjective intelligence. Subjective impressions 
never seem absurd or incongruous to the subject. This 
principle runs through all subjective mental action, from 
the dreams of the healthy sleeper to the hallucinations of 
the monomaniac. Subjective intelligence, be it remem- 
bered, is capable of exercising but one form of reasoning, — 
the deductive. But it will reason deductively from any 
premise imparted to it, by any form of suggestion, with 
great acumen; and it never arrives at a conclusion in- 
consistent with the premise, — that is, the suggestion. All 
the facts known to the individual's objective experience 
which are inconsistent with that premise stand for nought 
in presence of the one ever-present idea. That idea is 
the major premise, unquestioned and indisputable, of a 
syllogism which he will inevitably complete with logical 
accuracy. 

It is easy to see from what has been said what an appall- 
ing, ever-present danger menaces the patient who, from 
any cause, becomes cataleptic, especially the one who has 
reached the crisis of a lingering illness, and is surrounded 
by physicians and friends who are ignorant of the psycho- 
logical principles involved. The natural language of the 



SUSPENDED ANIMATION, ETC. 319 

emotions of the surviving friends, the wail of hopeless grief, 
the administration of the sacraments of the Church, and, 
finally, the authoritative announcement of the doctor that 
ei He is dead ! " all tend to the one result. When to these 
are added the ice-pack or the embalmer's fluid, it remains 
only for the performance of an autopsy to give the coup 
de grace. 

I shall not attempt to apply the principles here laid 
down to particular cases. Those who are cognizant of the 
circumstances of any case, either recorded or within their 
own private experience, will easily recognize their signifi- 
cance. Nor shall I attempt to prescribe the specific course 
to be pursued where suspended animation is suspected, as 
that is the province of the physician in attendance on each 
particular case. My object will have been accomplished if 
what I have said shall be the means of directing the atten- 
tion of the medical profession to the psychic aspects of 
catalepsy, and to a more careful study of the psychology of 
that science which has suffered so much at the hands 
of charlatanism on the one hand, and prejudice on the 
other, — hypnotism. 

Nevertheless, a few general observations regarding the 
proper course to be pursued may not seem impertinent. 
It is obvious that when catalepsy is suspected, or is pos- 
sible, all allusion to or suggestion of death should be 
avoided, especially by the physician in attendance. It 
should not for a moment be forgotten that, however pro- 
foundly the objective senses may be locked in insensibility, 
subjectively the patient is awake and is taking cognizance 
of all that occurs, and appreciates with wonderful acute- 
ness the significance of every word that is uttered. It 
should be remembered that since suggestion can induce 
catalepsy, it can also deepen and prolong the period of its 
duration. Conversely, it is the most potent means of resto- 
ration. Other restoratives should rarely, if ever, be resorted 
to. Violent means should never be employed. The essen- 
tial thing is a cheerful, confident demeanor in all present 
at the bedside. Time should always be given for the 



320 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

conservative forces and recuperative powers of nature to do 
their legitimate work, and in due season the patient, who 
" is not dead, but sleepeth," will awake ; or, in obedience 
to suggestion, will " arise and come forth," saved from 
the jaws of death, — rescued from the horrors of a living 
grave. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 



The Normal Relations of the Objective and Subjective Faculties.— 
Their Distinctive Powers and Functions. — The Infinite Wisdom 
displayed in their Distribution. — It constitutes Man a Free Moral 
Agent. — Limitation of Subjective Powers and Responsibilities in 
this Life. — The Kinship of the Soul to God. — The Limitation of 
the Powers of the Objective Mind. — The Transcendent Powers of 
the Soul. — Errors of the Old Philosophers. — The Normal Func- 
tions of the Soul in Earthly Life. — Dangers of Abnormal Ex^ 
ercise of Subjective Power. — Nervous Disorders, Insanity, 
Imbecility, and Moral Degradation. — The Importance of a Knowl- 
edge of the Law of Suggestion. — Dangers of Mediumship. — 
Trance-speakers. — Immoral Tendency of Ignorant Mediumship. 
— Tendency towards Free Love. — The Causes. — The Oriental- 
ists. — Their Greater Powers and their Greater Facilities for Self- 
delusion. — - Practical Conclusions. — Warnings. 

HAVE now presented the propositions of my hypothe- 
f sis, together with a brief outline showing its applica- 
bility to the leading psychic phenomena ; and it remains 
only to draw a few practical conclusions which apply to 
every-day life. The first, and the most obviously important 
one, relates to the exercise of subjective power, and the 
normal relations of the objective and subjective faculties. 
In order to do so clearly and concisely, it will be necessary 
to recall the terms of the hypothesis. 

The first proposition is that the mind of man is dual in 
character. This proposition, as we have already stated, 
has been more or less dimly recognized by many philoso- 
phers in all ages ; and during the present century it has 
been gradually assuming a more definite status in mental 
philosophy. Assuming, therefore,, this proposition to be 

21 



322 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA-. 

true, it necessarily follows that the two minds must, nor- 
mally, bear a harmonious relation to each other. It 
follows that one of the two minds must, normally, be 
subordinated to the other. Otherwise there would be a 
conflict. Just here Liebault's discovery of the law of sug- 
gestion comes in, and shows that the subjective mind is 
constantly controlled by that power. It is true that Lie- 
bault and his followers have applied the law only to the 
elucidation of hypnotic phenomena ; and in that have not 
always carried it to its legitimate conclusion. But it has 
seemed to me that if the law is applicable to one class of 
psychic phenomena, it must be equally applicable to all, as 
nature's laws admit of no exceptions. I have therefore 
declared, as the second proposition of my hypothesis, that 
the subjective mind is always controllable by suggestion. 

Assuming, therefore, that these two propositions are true, 
it follows as a necessary consequence that there must be 
some distinctive line of difference between the methods of 
operation of the two minds. It is obvious that there is a 
limitation of power in the subjective mind, otherwise it 
could not be subordinated to the objective. Just where 
this line of distinction could be drawn, and how it could be 
formulated, was at first a perplexing question. There were 
no authorities on the subject who ever hinted at a possible 
limitation of reasoning power in either branch of the dual 
mind. On the contrary, those who have observed the 
phenomena of subjective mental activity, as seen in hyp- 
notic subjects, in trance-speakers, and cognate exhibitions, 
have been so profoundly impressed with its transcendent 
powers that it has seemed impossible that it could be 
hedged about by limitations. Philosophers from time 
immemorial have recognized its tremendous powers of 
memory, and millions have sat entranced by the eloquence 
of subjective speakers, and noted with profound admira- 
tion their accuracy of logical deduction. So impressed has 
the world been by such exhibitions that the soul has 
been held up as the infallible guide to all that is pure and 
noble and good in humanity. It has been called the Ego 



PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 323 

(which it truly is), and as such it has been recognized as 
the inward monitor, whose monitions are always entitled to 
reverential consideration. It was difficult, therefore, to 
imagine any line of distinction between the two branches 
of the dual mind which would place the subjective in a sub- 
ordinate position. But for the discovery of Liebault's law 
of suggestion that line would never have been recognized- 
It now becomes evident, however, that the point of its 
limitation of reasoning power is the starting-point. It has 
not the power to formulate its own premises. The sub- 
sidiary proposition of our general hypothesis is, therefore, 
that the subjective mind is incapable of inductive reasoning. 
It will readily be seen that it is a corollary of the law of 
suggestion ; but the three propositions together furnish the 
key to the whole science of psychology. 

I am aware that those who have hitherto regarded the 
soul as possessing all the intellectual powers, as well as 
all the moral attributes, will be shocked when they realize 
that the object of their admiration is hedged about with 
any limitations whatever. The first question they will ask is, 
" Why is it that God has given to man a soul possessing such 
transcendent powers in certain directions, and yet under the 
absolute control, in all its ideas and intellectual functions, 
of a finite, perishable intelligence?" The broad and com- 
prehensive answer is, To constitute man a free moral agent. 
It needs no argument to show that if the soul were not so 
limited in its initiative power of reasoning, the finite, mortal 
man could not be held responsible for the moral status of his 
soul. God gave to objective man the powers of reason, in- 
ductive as well as deductive, for the purpose of enabling him 
successfully to struggle with his physical environment. He 
gave him the power to know the right from the wrong. He 
gave him supreme control of the initial processes of reason- 
ing, and thus made him responsible for the moral status of 
his soul. The soul, in the mean time, so long as it inhabits 
the body, is charged with limited responsibilities. It is the 
life-principle of the body, and its normal functions pertain 
solely to the preservation of human life and the perpetu- 



324 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

ation of the human race. It possesses wonderful powers in 
other directions, under certain abnormal conditions of the 
body, it is true. But their exercise outside of those limits 
is always abnormal, and productive of untoward results. 
Those powers of which we catch occasional glimpses, and 
which so excite our admiration, are powers which pertain 
to its existence in a future world. They are powers which 
proclaim it as a part of God, as partaking of the nature and 
attributes of the Divine Mind. Its powers of perception of 
the fixed laws of nature demonstrate its kinship to Omni- 
science. It is independent of the feeble powers of induc- 
tive reasoning when it is freed from its earthly trammels ; 
and there is not one power or attribute peculiar to the 
finite, objective mind that could be of any service to the 
soul in its eternal home. We boast of our powers of in- 
ductive reason, forgetting how little we have learned, or 
ever can know, compared with what there is to learn. We 
forget that they are the outgrowth of our physical wants 
and necessities, and simply enable us to grope in the dark 
for the means of subsistence, and to render our physical 
existence tolerable. The powers of the objective mind, 
compared with those of the subjective mind, may be lik- 
ened to a man born in a cave, in which the light of the sun 
never entered, and supplied only with a rushlight with 
which to grope his way and find the means of subsistence. 
The light, feeble as it is, is invaluable to him ; for by its 
means he is enabled gradually to learn his bearings, to take 
note of his environment, to make occasional discoveries of the 
necessities of life, and finally to achieve some of the comforts 
of existence. The more he discovers, the more he appreci- 
ates the value of his rushlight and the more he boasts of its 
transcendent powers of illumination. He hears vague re- 
ports of an outside world where the comforts and luxuries 
of life are comparatively easy to obtain, and he resolves to 
grope his way out. He is told that the outside world is 
lighted by a great luminary which will render his rushlight 
of no value to him except as a reminder of the limitations 
of his cave-life. But he is sceptical, and points with pride 



PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 325 

to his accumulations and the discoveries he has made with 
the aid of his " God-given illuminant," and refuses to be- 
lieve that there is a possible state of existence which would 
be tolerable without rushlights. At length a cataclysm of 
nature throws him upon the outside world in the full blaze 
of the light of a midday sun. He then finds that he is in a 
world of light ; that he can perceive things as they are, and 
observe their bearings and relations to each other, and he 
finds that the rays of his rushlight are no longer visible. 
It is obvious that this is but a feeble illustration of the dif- 
ference between the powers of inductive inquiry into the 
laws of nature, and the powers of perception possessed by 
the subjective entity. When the soul is freed from its phys- 
ical trammels it ascends to its native realm of truth, and, 
untrammelled by false suggestions arising from the imperfect 
knowledge of the objective mind, it " sees God as he is ; " 
that is, it apprehends all his laws, and imbibes truth from its 
Eternal Source. 

It must not be forgotten in this connection that the sub- 
jective mind is the soul, or spirit, and is itself an organized 
entity, possessing independent powers and functions ; while 
the objective mind is merely the function of the physical 
brain, and possesses no powers whatever independently 
of the physical organization. The one possesses dynamic 
force independently of the body ; the other does not. The 
one is capable of sustaining an existence independently of 
the body ; the other dies with it. It is just here that the 
ancient philosophers made their greatest error ; and that 
error has been transmitted down through all the ages. 
They recognized the dual character of the mind, but 
saw no fundamental difference in the functions of the two 
minds. It never occurred to them that there was, or 
could be, any limitation of power in either that was not 
common to both. They recognized man as a trinity, the 
three elements of which are " body, soul, and spirit." The 
soul, in their system of philosophy, corresponds to the ob- 
jective mind, and the spirit to the subjective mind. They 
considered only the functions of the two minds as minds, 



326 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

and constantly regarded the two as possessing only co- 
ordinate powers. Or, if they regarded them as entities, 
they considered that while each was an entity, it was, some- 
how, inseparably joined to the other in function and des- 
tiny. Hence, according to their philosophy, if one survived 
the death of the body, both must survive it. This funda- 
mental error shows itself, in various forms, in every system 
of philosophy, from Plato down ; and it will continue to 
breed confusion and uncertainty in the human mind until 
the fact is recognized that the subjective mind, or spirit, as 
Plato designates it, is a distinct entity, possessing indepen- 
dent powers and functions ; whereas the objective mind, 
or the " soul," of the ancient philosopher, is merely the 
function of the physical brain. This latter proposition is 
demonstrated by every consideration of its powers, func- 
tions, and limitations. Its powers wholly depend upon the 
physical condition of the brain. They decline as the body 
weakens. They become deranged and useless as the brain 
becomes disorganized from physical causes. Its distinctive 
functions pertain solely to physical existence. It has the 
power of independent inductive reasoning to compensate 
for its total want of power to perceive by intuition. But, 
as I have already pointed out, inductive reasoning is merely 
a laborious method of inquiry, and pertains wholly to our 
physical existence. It would be as useless to the spirit in 
an existence where all truth is perceived by intuition, as a 
tallow-dip in the full blaze of a noonday sun. It may be 
set down as a maxim in spiritual philosophy that there is 
not one power or function of the objective mind which 
distinguishes it from those of the subjective entity, that 
could be of any service to the latter when it is freed from 
its earthly environment. 

The peculiar functions of the physical brain are there- 
fore no more entitled to be considered as an immortal 
entity, or as any necessary part or function of an immortal 
entity, than are the physical functions of deglutition or 
digestion, or the physical power of pedal locomotion. 

It is not for man to question the wisdom of God in so 



PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 327 

ordaining the relations of the soul to the body as to subor- 
dinate the eternal to the perishable. But it is man's duty 
so to exercise his powers of induction as to ascertain those 
relations ; and, having done so according to his best lights, 
so to order his conduct as to do his whole duty to himself 
and his Creator. As we find those relations exist, the 
whole responsibility rests upon the objective man. He is 
a free moral agent, and has it in his power to train his soul 
for weal or woe, for this life and for eternity. 

It is of the relations which exist between objective and 
subjective man in this life that I propose to offer a few 
practical suggestions at this time. I have already shown 
that the normal functions of the subjective mind are ap- 
parently limited to the preservation of human life and the 
perpetuation of the human race. These functions are 
manifested in what are known as instincts. The first is the 
instinct of self-preservation ; the second is the instinct 
of reproduction ; and the third pertains to the preserva- 
tion of the offspring. In the last may be included the 
instinctive desire to preserve human life generally. Outside 
of these limits all phenomenal subjective mental activity 
appears to be abnormal. I say appears to be abnormal, for 
the reason that we have no means of judging, except from 
a consensus of facts. The facts which pertain to the sub- 
ject can be found in the greatest abundance in spirit- 
istic circles, for the reason that it is there that subjective 
activity is greatest in modern times, I venture to say that 
no one of the better class of spiritists will deny the fact 
that most professional mediums eventually become physi- 
cal wrecks ; many are overtaken by mental derangement, 
and some by a moral degradation too loathsome to be de- 
scribed. Few, if any, escape serious physical trouble. This, 
of itself, is sufficient evidence, of abnormality, and should 
serve as a warning against the too frequent exercise of sub- 
jective power. The majority of spiritistic mediums are more 
or less afflicted with nervous disorders, and many of them 
are hysterical to the last degree. Most of them complain 
of extreme nervous exhaustion after a seance, and many 



328 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

require days to recover from the effects of a prolonged 
exercise of subjective power. It may be said that I mis- 
take the cause for the effect ; that is, that it may be only 
weak and nervous physical organisms that are capable of 
exercising subjective power. I am aware that the ques- 
tion is not free from difficulty, and that one is liable to 
fall into error in discussing a subject that is so little under- 
stood. The fact remains, nevertheless, that nervous dis- 
orders and mediumship are generally associated, and that 
fact alone is indicative of abnormality. Whether we are 
to regard the exercise of subjective power as productive of 
abnormal physical conditions, or are to suppose that it re- 
quires an abnormal physical organism to produce subjective 
phenomena, matters little. The conclusion must be the 
same, — that the exercise of subjective power is abnormal, 
and should be avoided until more is known of the proper 
conditions of its exercise than has yet been discovered. 

There is a further difficulty attending the consideration 
of this subject which must not be lost sight of, and that is 
the question how far suggestion may enter as a factor in 
the case. It is well known that some mesmeric healers 
fancy that " they take on the conditions of the patient," as 
they phrase it. That is, they feel the symptoms which 
afflict the patient. There is no question of the fact that 
those who enter upon the treatment of a case with that idea 
firmly fixed in their minds will experience the anticipated 
sensations, often to a marked degree. But late scientific 
experiments disclose the fact that such phenomena are 
always the effect of suggestion. The physical exhaustion 
which some healers feel after the treatment of a case is 
also largely due to suggestion. These effects may always 
be counteracted by a vigorous auto-suggestion ; and, more- 
over, the same means may be effectively employed to pro- 
duce exactly the opposite effects upon the operator. That 
is to say, the mental healer, by whatever method he does 
his work, may always cause his treatment of a patient o 
redound to his own benefit, as well as to that of the patient, 
by the exercise of the power of auto-suggestion. It is 



PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 329 

therefore impossible to say just how far suggestion enters 
as a factor in the production of untoward physical results 
from the exercise of mediumistic power. It is certainly 
traditional among the fraternity that nervous exhaustion 
ensues from its exercise, and the results au appalling. 
How far the effects may be counteracted by intelligent 
auto-suggestion, remains to be settled by ' r : process of 
evolution. There is, however, little hope of any change 
for the better so long as the spiritistic medium believes 
himself to be under the domination of an extraneous force 
which is beyond his control, and the effects of which he is 
powerless to mitigate. 

This phase of the subject is, however, of little importance 
compared with the mental effects produced by the too per- 
sistent exercise of the subjective faculties in the production 
of phenomena. Again we must draw our illustrations from 
spiritistic circles. It is undeniable that the tendency of 
mediumship is to unhinge the mind, to destroy the mental 
balance, and often to produce the worst forms of insanity. 
And it is noticeable that the more thoroughly sincere the 
medium is in his belief in the genuineness of his power to 
evoke the spirits of the dead, the greater is the tendency to 
insanity. The reason is obvious. If he sincerely believes 
himself to be under the control of an extraneous power, he 
yields implicit obedience to that power; especially if it 
assumes to be a superior mentality, as it generally does. 
Instead of assuming control of the power, he allows it to 
control him. As a matter of course, he is ignorant of the 
laws pertaining to it. He is ignorant of the fact that the 
force which controls him resides within himself, and is not 
a superior being commissioned from Heaven to convey a 
message from the Source of all knowledge. He is dazed 
by its wonderful exhibitions of superior intelligence, is cap- 
tivated by its eloquence, and awed by its assumption of 
authority. In short, he knows nothing of its source, or the 
limitations of its powers of reasoning. The result is that he 
yields implicit obedience to its guidance in all things. His 
reason has abdicated its throne and abandoned its func- 



330 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

tions, and he is at the mercy of his subjective mind, which, 
in turn, is controlled by the false suggestions of his own 
disorganized and subjugated objective intelligence. His 
physical degeneracy keeps pace with his mental decline, 
his whole nervous system is prostrated by excessive exer- 
cise of subjective power, and too frequently the end is 
acute mania or drivelling imbecility. 

One of the most fascinating and seductive forms of sub- 
jective mental activity is exhibited in trance, or inspira- 
tional, speaking. A medium of fair intelligence and some 
education, obtained, perhaps, by desultory reading of spiri- 
tistic and miscellaneous literature, develops himself into an 
inspirational speaker. As a sincere spiritist, he believes 
himself to be controlled by some great spirit who in life 
was celebrated for his eloquence. He ascends the rostrum 
and amazes his audience by his wonderful oratory, his 
marvellous command of the resources of his mind, and, 
above all, by the clearness and cogency of his reasoning. 
Those who have known him before and are aware of the 
limits of his education are the most surprised of all, and no 
argument can convince them that he is not inspired by 
some almost superhuman intelligence from another world. 
They know nothing of the wonders of subjective mental 
power ; they have no knowledge of the perfection of sub- 
jective memory, which gives the speaker perfect com- 
mand of all he has ever read, or of the logical exactitude 
of the deductive reasoning of the subjective intelligence. 
The speaker, on his part, finds himself in possession of 
such wonderful powers and resources, emanating, as he be- 
lieves, from an extraneous source, abandons his old pur- 
suits, and devotes himself to the work of his inspiration. 
It is an easy and pleasurable existence for the time being. 
He finds that there is no need of taking thought of what 
he is to say, for ideas, and words with which to clothe 
them, flow from him like a mountain torrent. He finds 
himself in possession of knowledge which he has no objec- 
tive recollection of ever having acquired, and of ideas 
which were foreign to his objective intelligence. He be- 



PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 33 1 

lieves, and, from his standpoint, has every reason to believe, 
that he is inspired by some lofty spirit whose knowledge is 
unlimited and whose resources are unfailing. He feels that 
he has no need of further reading or study, and the work 
of objective intellectual labor soon becomes a drudgery. 
The result is that his objective intellectual growth soon 
comes to a stand- still, and at length his objective intellect 
begins to deteriorate. In the mean time his subjective 
powers may continue to grow in brilliancy for a time, or 
at least they shine with a new lustre, as they are compared 
with the deepening dulness of his objective intellect. At 
length he becomes fitful, erratic, eccentric. As his objec- 
tive powers deteriorate, they no longer have any semblance 
of control over his subjective mind. The suggestions which 
reason, in its best estate, may have given to his subjective 
mind, as a starting-point for his discourses, are no longer 
available, for his power to reason is failing. His friends, 
who follow him from place to place, begin to notice that he 
talks one thing at one place, and the opposite at another. 
They attribute the fact to the control of different spirits at 
different times, and for a time they are consoled. Even- 
tually the fact is forced upon them that in his normal, or 
objective, condition he is growing more and more erratic, 
and that at times his conversation is the merest drivel. As 
in all the other forms of subjective development mentioned, 
his physical deterioration keeps pace with his mental de- 
cline. In the mean time his subjective powers appear to 
deteriorate. It is not true, in fact, that his subject mind, 
per se, deteriorates, for that is impossible. But as it is 
always controlled by suggestion, it necessarily takes its cue 
from the suggestions conveyed to it by the objective mind. 
When that ceases to develop, the subjective mind keeps on 
in its old rut, for the obvious reason that no new ideas are 
imparted to it. When the objective mind begins to dete- 
riorate, its suggestions are no longer coherent, and the 
subjective mind is necessarily incoherent in exact propor- 
tion. Its deductions from a false or imbecile suggestion 
will be logically correct ; but, as a matter of course, a false, 



332 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA 

extravagant, or imbecile premise, followed to its legitimate, 
logical conclusion, necessarily leads the mind into a corre- 
sponding maze of extravagance and imbecility. It is 
therefore no indication of a decline of subjective powers, 
but it is a demonstration of the universality of the law of 
suggestion. It goes without saying that if an inspirational 
speaker were aware of the source of his power, and of the 
laws which govern it, and would constantly keep it under 
the control of his reason, he could utilize it to the very 
best advantage. A cultured man of well-balanced intellect 
would then formulate his own premises according to the best 
lights obtainable through the processes of inductive reason- 
ing, and " inspiration would do the rest." If his premises 
were correct, the subjective mind could always be depended 
upon to deduce the correct conclusions, and to illustrate 
them by drawing upon the resources of its perfect memory 
of all that the individual has ever seen, heard, or read 
bearing upon the subject. Such a man would be known as 
a man of " genius," in whatever direction he exercised his 
powers. And just in proportion to the natural powers and 
cultivation of his objective mind and the extent of his 
objective information would his subjective manifestations 
be brilliant and powerful. 

I do not say that such an exercise of subjective power 
would not be abnormal and productive of untoward physi- 
cal consequences. Men of genius in all ages of the world 
have unconsciously exercised this power. But men of 
genius the world over have been too often noted for ab- 
normalities of character and conduct. Profane history fur- 
nishes but one example where a man of genius appears to 
have been in possession of objective and subjective powers 
perfectly balanced, and who was able to utilize his enor- 
mous objective advantages, resulting from constant and in- 
timate association with the greatest minds of his generation, 
in the subjective production of works which must always 
stand pre-eminent. It is unnecessary to say that I allude to 
Shakspeare. So little is known of his private life that it 
is impossible to judge whether abnormal physical effects 



PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 333 

resulted from his labors. But his works are full of internal 
evidence that his subjective powers were under the constant 
control of a well-trained and perfectly balanced objective 
intellect. 

It is of course impossible to say just how far subjective 
power might, normally, be employed in the direction indi- 
cated, in the absolute dearth of examples where it has been 
employed with a full knowledge of the laws which govern 
it. But certain it is that so long as it is exercised under 
the delusion that it is an extraneous and superior power, 
over which the objective man possesses no control, just so 
long will the victim of the delusion be subject to the caprice 
of an irresponsible power, which will eventually drive him 
to the horrors of insanity or leave him in the darkness of 
imbecility. 

Of greater importance than either the physical or mental 
deterioration of the one who habitually exercises subjective 
power in the production of phenomena, is the moral aspect 
of the question. One may escape serious physical conse- 
quences of mediumship, or he may succeed in maintaining 
a sufficient outward semblance of mental equilibrium to 
keep out of the insane asylum ; but no well-informed spiri- 
tist of the better class will attempt to deny or weaken the 
force of the statement that a mephitic moral atmosphere 
surrounds the average spiritistic medium. I do not assert 
by any means that all mediums are immoral. On the con- 
trary, there are many noble men and pure women who 
habitually exercise mediumistic power. Otherwise, the 
tendency to looseness of morals which characterizes so 
many of them would be difficult to account for on other 
than physiological grounds. Books have been written to 
account for this tendency, on the hypothesis that immorality 
is a consequence of the nervous derangement which follows 
the practice of mediumship. This hypothesis necessarily 
presupposes the invariable connection of immorality with a 
nervous disorder, and the latter with mediumship. The 
common experience of mankind may be invoked to prove 
that there is no invariable connection of the kind existing, 



334 THE LAW 0F PSYCHE PHENOMENA. 

Another cause must therefore be sought for the too -frequent 
association of immorality with mediumship. 

Those who have followed me in my brief analysis of the 
causes which conspire to bring about the mental deteriora- 
tion of the spiritistic medium will anticipate me in what I 
have to say concerning the causes of the moral degradation 
of the same class. The medium, if he is sincere in his pro- 
fessions of belief in the alleged communication of spirits of 
the dead through him, believes himself to be under the care 
and control of a higher and purer mentality than his own. 
He believes in its lofty assumptions of mental and moral 
superiority, and he becomes accustomed to ask its advice 
in all things pertaining to his personal well-being. He 
frequently finds its advice to be of the best, and he grad- 
ually accustoms himself to submit to its guidance in all 
things. He assumes and believes that in the clearer light 
of the world of spirits many of the artificialities of mundane 
civilization are held in pitying contempt, and he frequently 
comes to believe that many of the restraints of human 
society are purely artificial, and have no foundation in 
true morality or religion. He generally regards himself 
as a reformer, having broken away from the orthodox 
creed, and becomes the advocate of a new religion. Like 
most radical reformers who find the world all wrong in one 
respect, he immediately assumes that it is wrong in every- 
thing ; and nothing will satisfy his ambition short of de- 
stroying the whole fabric of civilized society, and instituting 
a new order of things more suited to his ideas of human 
progress and felicity. It all too frequently happens that 
one of the first " artificial " institutions of society which be- 
comes the object of private attack by the spiritual medium 
is the marriage relation. He sees much domestic infelicity 
surrounding him, and is perhaps tired of the restraints 
which it imposes upon himself, and he consults his spirit 
guide as to the propriety of setting at defiance the laws of 
human society in that regard. Now, if his " spirit guide " 
were what he believed it to be, or what it assumed to be, — 
a pure and lofty spirit, disenthralled from the temptations 



PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 335 

and weaknesses of the flesh, and drawing inspiration from 
the society of just men made perfect, — there could be no 
doubt of the character of the advice it would give him. 
But, being the medium's own subjective entity, bound by 
the laws of its being to control by the power of suggestion, 
it necessarily follows the line of thought which is upper- 
most in the medium's objective mind, and it gives the ad- 
vice most desired. Moreover, from the premises suggested 
by the unhallowed lusts of the medium, it will frame an 
argument so plausible and convincing to his willing mind 
that he will fancy that, in following the advice of his " con- 
trol," he is obeying the holiest impulses implanted in his 
nature by a God of love. 

I do not charge spiritists as a class with being advocates 
of the doctrines of free love. On the contrary, I am aware 
that, as a class, they hold the marriage relation in sacred 
regard. I cannot forget, however, that but a few years 
ago some of their leading advocates and mediums pro- 
claimed the doctrine of free love in all its hideous deform- 
ity from every platform in the land. Nor do I fail to 
remember that the better class of spiritists everywhere 
repudiated the doctrine and denounced its advocates and 
exemplars. Nevertheless, the moral virus took effect here 
and there all over the country, and it is doing its deadly 
work in secret in many an otherwise happy home. And I 
charge a large and constantly growing class of professional 
mediums with being the leading propagandists of the doc- 
trine of free love. They infest every community in the land, 
and it is well known to all men and women who are dis- 
satisfied or unhappy in their marriage relations that they 
can always find sympathy by consulting the average medium, 
and can, moreover, find justification for illicit love by in- 
voking the spirits of the dead through such mediums. 

As before remarked, I do not charge mediums as a class 
with immoral practices, nor do I say that the exercise of 
subjective power, per se, has a tendency to induce immoral 
practices. What I do say is, that through a want of knowl- 
edge of the laws which pertain to subjective mental activity, 



336 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

the one who exercises that power in the form of medium- 
ship is in constant danger of being led astray. He invokes 
a power that he knows nothing of, — a power which may, 
at any time, turn and rend him. 

The man or woman whose heart is pure, in whom the 
principles of virtue and morality are innate, is in no danger 
of being corrupted by the exercise of mediumistic power. 
The auto-suggestions of such are constantly on the side of 
virtue, and a corrupt communication could not emanate 
from such a source. But to the young, whose characters 
are not formed, and to those whose notions of morality are 
loose, the dangers of mediumship are appalling. 

I have felt obliged to draw my illustrations from spirit 
mediums for the reason that mediumship is the form which 
subjective activity takes in the Western world. Other forms, 
however, are being introduced from the Orient, and may 
soon become common in this country. The Western world 
is threatened with a revival of the arts of the magician, the 
conjurer, and the wizard. It may be true, and doubtless is, 
that the Eastern adepts know more of the practice of sub- 
jective arts than is dreamed of by spiritists. The fact that 
they denounce as dangerous to health, morals, and sanity 
the practice of mediumship, is a hopeful sign. That they 
are aware that the power which controls the medium ema- 
nates from himself, is demonstrative of their advancement 
in practical knowledge of the subject. But that they are 
reliable guides to the safe exercise of subjective power 
has not been demonstrated. It is certain that they are yet 
ignorant of the fundamental principles which underlie the 
science of the soul, for they have yet to learn the law of 
suggestion, and to appreciate the subtle role which that 
power plays in every psychic phenomenon. Their whole 
system of spiritual philosophy has been built up in igno- 
rance of that law, and hence they are necessarily subject to 
the same delusions, arising from the same sources of error, 
that have misguided all mankind, in all the ages of the world, 
prior to the discovery of that law. They believe in their 
power to communicate with the spirits of another world, 



PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 337 

precisely the same as do the modern spiritists. The foun- 
dation of their belief is the same ; namely, psychic phe- 
nomena produced by themselves, in ignorance of the 
fundamental laws which govern it. The only difference 
resides in the fact that the Orientalists have the power to 
produce a greater variety of startling phenomena, and 
hence are in possession of greater facilities for deceiving 
themselves. No advantage, therefore, can be gained by 
studying their philosophy or practising their arts, except as 
a means of gaining general information or for purposes of 
scientific experiment ; and the warning against indulging in 
the indiscriminate practice of mediumship holds good against 
the too frequent exercise of subjective power in any direc- 
tion, or for any purpose save that of scientific investigation 
or healing the sick. 

It should be remembered always that the power of the 
subjective entity is the most potential force in nature, and 
when intelligently directed the most beneficent. But, like 
every other power in nature misdirected, its destructive 
force is equally potent. 

In conclusion, I desire again to impress upon the reader 
the absolute necessity of always holding the subjective entity 
under the positive domination of objective reason ; and I 
here repeat, what I have again and again sought to enforce, 
that insanity consists in the usurpation by the subjective 
mind of the throne of reason. The terrible potentialities of 
the subjective entity are as much to be feared as admired, 
and no faculty that it possesses is more to be dreaded and 
guarded against than its awful power and inexorable exac- 
titude of logical deduction, when reasoning from premises 
that have not been demonstrated by the processes of 
induction. 



22 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST. 

The Great Stumbling-block, Unbelief in the Physical History of 
Christ. — Modern Science confirms the New Testament. — Inter- 
nal Evidence of the Truth of the History of Jesus. — The Scien- 
tific Accuracy of his Statements. — The Exoteric and the Esoteric 
Doctrines. — Parables. — Esoteric Doctrines Reserved for Modern 
Science to discover. — The Spirit of Truth. — Jesus the first to 
proclaim the Scientific Truth. — The Doctrine of Faith. — Healing 
the Sick. — Natural Law. — Faith essential then as now. — Il- 
lustrative Incidents. — Jairus' Daughter. — Seven Scientific Steps. 
— Secrecy enjoined. — Scientific Reasons. — Rediscovery of the 
Science of Mental Therapeutics in Modern Times. — Nothing dis- 
covered that Jesus did not know. — Absent Treatment. — The 
Power to heal transmitted to all Future Generations. — The Con- 
ditions. — Conclusions. 

IT was no part of my original intention in writing this 
book to enter upon the discussion of theological ques- 
tions, or to speculate upon the possible condition of the 
soul after the death of the body. Nor shall I, to any great 
extent, enter upon that prolific field of discussion at this 
time. Nevertheless, I cannot refrain from presenting a few 
thoughts which have forced themselves upon me concerning 
the relation which the hypothesis under consideration bears 
to the history and doctrines of the man Jesus Christ. In 
doing so I hope to offend no man's theology, and to avoid 
the accusation of seeking to " open the secret of spiritual 
life in the criminal court of empirical philosophy." 

It has often been said that the laws which enable man 
to perceive spiritual truths, or to apprehend the relation 
which his spiritual nature bears to the Christ, cannot be 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST. 339 

formulated by any known methods of finite reasoning, that 
spiritual truth must be approached from the spiritual side, 
and that it must be perceived by the eye of faith. Never- 
theless, there are many who have never been able to attain 
that faith in the spiritual nature of Christ, for the reason 
that they persist in approaching him by and through 
the finite processes of reasoning. Their conceptions of 
him come through the history of his physical life, and their 
doubts arise through their unbelief in the verity of the 
history of his physical manifestations. The history of criti- 
cal warfare upon Christianity will bear out the statement 
that this is, and has ever been, the great stumbling-block. 
The assaults of scepticism have always been upon the man 
Christ ; and, being unable to reconcile the accounts of his 
physical history and manifestations with the laws of nature, 
as understood by his critics, sceptics have ignored the spir- 
itual side of his character, and ended in total unbelief in 
his divine attributes. 

If, therefore, the discoveries of modern science can be 
made to throw any light upon the history of the man Jesus ; 
if they confirm all that has been said of the physical phe- 
nomena which characterized his career, — the first great 
obstacle which stands in the way of the acceptance of the 
essential spiritual doctrines which he promulgated will be 
removed. 

If, in addition to that, it can be shown that the discov- 
eries of modern science not only confirm the story of his 
physical manifestations, but demonstrate the essential truth 
of the central idea which he promulgated concerning man's 
immortality, show the philosophy of his mission on earth, 
and prove that he was, and is, as a matter of scientific truth, 
the Saviour of the souls of men, there will be little left upon 
which scepticism can hang a reasonable doubt. 

I undertake to say that modern science can do all this, 
and more. 

It has often been said that the New Testament bears in- 
ternal evidence of its own truth. This is true. But it is 
not true in the sense in which it has been stated. It has 



340 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

been said that such evidence consists in the alleged fact. 
that at the time when Christ lived, there was no one else 
capable of formulating the code of ethics and morals which 
he promulgated. That this is not true is evidenced by the 
writings of many who preceded him. The golden rule 
itself, which may be said to embody the noblest conception 
which has been given to mankind of man's duty to his 
fellow-man, is found in the writings of Confucius. The 
code of ethics found in the writings of the ancient Greek 
philosophers will compare favorably with anything found in 
the New Testament. It is not in this, therefore, that the 
internal evidence of the truth of the New Testament is to 
be found. 

But I undertake to say that in view of the state of 
scientific knowledge which existed at the time when Christ 
appeared on earth, it was absolutely impossible that a 
fictitious character could have been created, embodying 
the salient features of the physical history and character of 
Christ, by any one of his day and generation. The writers 
of the New Testament must have had an original from 
which to write the history, draw the character, and state 
the attributes of Christ. This is especially true of his 
physical history and manifestations; for no one but he 
was at that time capable of doing his work or of formulat- 
ing with scientific accuracy the secret and source of his 
power. Nor was any one of his day capable of conceiving 
the ideas which he promulgated concerning his spiritual 
mission on earth, or of stating, as he did, the exact condi- 
tions upon which mankind must depend for salvation and 
immortality. He did not formulate the scientific princi- 
ples which underlie his doctrines, for the world was not 
ready to receive, nor capable of appreciating, them ; he 
only stated the facts. It has been left for the discoveries of 
modern science to demonstrate the scientific accuracy of his 
statements. That he understood the principles which un- 
derlie his doctrines and constitute the secret of his power, 
goes without saying; but his biographers did not under- 
stand them, or, if they did, they were as reticent as he was. 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST 341 

. Nor is it important to know whether they were or were no! 
in possession of that knowledge. The point is, that they 
could not have created the character without the original 
to draw from, and, a fortiori, they could not have formu- 
lated the doctrines which, after the lapse of nineteen hun- 
dred years, prove to be scientifically correct. But it is 
said that they were inspired. Leaving out of consideration 
the theological idea of inspiration, it is certain that they 
were inspired in the highest and best sense of the word. 
They were inspired by the authoritative declarations of the 
Master, — by his statement of the great principles of his 
philosophy; by the words of him "who spake as never 
man spake," — words of which he made the declaration, that, 
" though heaven and earth shall pass away, my words shall 
not pass away." With this view of the source of the in- 
spiration of the writers of the New Testament, the internal 
evidence of the essential truth of the history of Jesus Christ 
is demonstrative. 

If Jesus had formulated the scientific principles which 
pertain to his doctrines and his works, and had taught 
them to his disciples, there would have been no internal 
evidence whatever of the truth of his history, or that he 
ever existed. The reason is obvious. If his biographers 
had been in possession of that knowledge, no matter from 
what source they obtained it, it would have been possible 
for them to create a fictitious character possessing all the 
powers and attributes of Christ. A few years ago it would 
have been impossible for the most lively imagination to 
picture two men, standing a thousand miles apart, trans- 
mitting oral messages to each other over a wire stretched 
between them. If, however, a statement had been made 
by any one that he had seen the feat performed, the exis- 
tence of the telephone to-day would be demonstrative evi- 
dence of the truth of his statement, however sceptical his 
own generation might have been. In other words, the 
discoveries of modern science would have developed the 
fact that he spoke the truth. If it were known that the man 
who made the statement knew absolutely nothing of the 



342 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

science of electricity, the internal evidence of its truth 
would be all the stronger; for a man well versed in the 
science of electricity might be supposed to be capable of 
imagining the possibility of such an invention, and stating 
its existence as a fact. But a man ignorant of electrical 
laws could by no possibility conceive the idea of the tele- 
phone ; he must be presented with the concrete fact in 
order to be able to state it intelligently. 

It was so with the biographers of Jesus. They knew 
nothing of the scientific principles involved in the perform- 
ance of his wonderful works. They knew only the facts, 
and they recorded them. He gave to his apostles just 
enough information to enable them to continue his work. 
He stated the conditions of success, and promised the 
world that whosoever complied with those conditions 
should be able to do even greater works than he had done. 
He formulated the doctrine of immortality, and stated the 
conditions of its attainment. His biographers have re- 
corded his words, but not his reasons, for he gave none. 
If, therefore, science demonstrates that the powers that he 
possessed are possible, that the conditions of their exercise are 
precisely what he declared them to be, and that they cannot 
be exercised without a strict compliance with those condi- 
tions, the internal evidence for the truth of his history is 
overwhelming. Modified by the nature of the subject, and 
of the proofs required, the same may be said of his spiritual 
doctrines. 

His practical wisdom is nowhere shown more conspicu- 
ously than in his reticence. He had two very important 
reasons for withholding a full disclosure of the underlying 
principles of his philosophy, or of the laws which pertain to 
his physical manifestations. The first was that the world 
was not ready to receive the whole truth. This was said to 
his disciples during his last interview with them previous to 
his crucifixion. " I have yet many things to say unto you, 
but ye cannot bear them now." He had given to his fol- 
lowers all that it was expedient to give in that age. He had 
told them the conditions of salvation. He had taught them 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST 343 

how to heal the sick. He had taught them how to employ 
their powers in doing good, both physically and spiritually. 
But he knew that the same power which he taught them 
how to use for the physical benefit of mankind might also, 
in the hands of wicked men, be employed for doing evil. 
He knew that the condition of its exercise for evil purposes 
was a full knowledge of the laws which pertain to it. He 
knew that in the hands of the majority of the men of his 
day and generation it was a dangerous power, — too dan- 
gerous to be intrusted to the world in its then stage of pub- 
lic and private virtue, morality, religion, and enlightenment. 

There was an exoteric doctrine which he promulgated to 
the world, and an esoteric doctrine which he deemed it 
inexpedient to divulge before the world was prepared to 
receive it. His whole career illustrates this important 
fact. 

His habit of speaking to the multitude in parables, to- 
gether with his reasons for so doing, constitutes the strong- 
est evidence of his determination to conceal his esoteric 
doctrines from the common people. 

" And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest 
thou unto them in parables ? 

" He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto 
you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to 
them it is not given. . . . 

" Therefore speak I to them in parables : because they 
seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they 
understand. . . . 

" For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are 
dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed. . . . 

" All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables ; 
and without a parable spake he not unto them; 

" That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, 
saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things 
which have been kept secret from the foundation of the 
world." 1 

These passages make it as clear as words can formulate a 
proposition that he deemed it inexpedient to divulge to 

» Matthew xiii. 10, 11, 13, 15, 34, 35 



344 THE LA w 0F PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

the people anything more than they could understand and 
assimilate. His estimate of men and his knowledge of 
their needs were perfect ; and he gave to each class with 
whom he had to deal, just what was necessary to enable it 
to perform the work assigned to it. He taught the multi- 
tude the principles of morality and justice among men, and 
pointed the way to eternal life ; but he did not teach them 
how to heal the sick. He taught his chosen ones the true 
method of healing the sick, and divulged the exact conditions 
of its exercise ; but he did not teach them the scientific prin- 
ciples upon which his system of healing was founded. They 
were no more capable of understanding those principles 
than were the multitude capable of acquiring the power to 
heal the sick. He gave to each according to his needs ; 
and, true to his spiritual mission, Christ enjoined upon all 
men the necessity of first seeking the kingdom of heaven, 
when all other needful things would be added unto them. 
It was not necessary for his disciples to know the esoteric 
science of healing, in order to enable them to heal the sick, 
any more than it is for us to-day. We may know how little 
the knowledge of true scientific principles involved in the 
exercise of that power has to do with success in healing, 
when we observe the diversity of views entertained on the 
subject by the successful healers of modern times. Christ 
gave to the world all the knowledge necessary for the suc- 
cessful exercise of that power in the one word faith. He 
was the first who taught that lesson to mankind ; and it 
holds as good to-day as it did when he first proclaimed it 
to the multitude upon the banks of the Jordan. 

The second reason for withholding a statement of the 
scientific principles involved in his manifestations of power 
and his spiritual philosophy was that he foresaw the time 
approaching when the world would reason it out for itself; 
and that when that time came, mankind would be prepared 
to receive it. He foresaw that in the progress of civiliza- 
tion and enlightenment the time would surely come when 
the world would not be content to rest its belief upon the 
doctrine of any one, whatever his claims to inspiration of 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST 345 

authority. In other words, he foresaw the present age of 
materialism, and its tendency towards scepticism regard- 
ing everything which cannot be scientifically demonstrated 
by the inductive processes of reasoning. He knew that 
when that epoch should have arrived in the history of man's 
intellectual development, the truth of his doctrines would 
be all the more forcibly impressed upon mankind if they 
could be proved by the inexorable rules of logic. Besides^ 
science and inductive reasoning would have been lost upon 
the people with whom he had to deal. That he fully realized 
this is shown by his implied rebuke to the nobleman of Ca- 
pernaum, when he exclaimed, " Except ye see signs and 
wonders, ye will not believe." To have attempted to reason 
with them would have been like "casting pearls before 
swine." He appealed to them by the only logic they could 
understand. He offered to them the only evidence they 
could appreciate, — the evidence of their senses. 

That Christ foresaw the time when the world would be in 
possession of indubitable evidence of the truth concerning 
him, but that he knew that the time had not yet come, is 
clearly shown by his remarks to his disciples in his memo- 
rable interview with them just previous to his crucifixion : 

" I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear 
them now." 1 

This refers to the then existing conditions. He had 
given them all the proofs that they were capable of appre- 
ciating of the truth of his doctrines. In the next sentence 
he refers to the time to come, when still more evidence 
would be given to the world. 

" Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide 
you into all truth." 2 

This clearly refers to the time, which was yet to come, 
when mankind should seek the truth and demand to know 
it. The " Spirit of truth " is a personification of that spirit 
in man which seeks to learn the truth for its own sake, by 

1 John xvi. 12. 2 John xvi. 13. 



346 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

the only process known to this world, — inductive reasoning. 
That day has come. The Spirit of truth is abroad through- 
out all the civilized world, and it demands reasons for the 
faith that is in the Christian Church. 
Again Christ said : — 

" But when the Comforter is cbme, whom I will send unto 
you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth 
from the Father, he shall testify of me : 

" And ye shall also bear witness, because ye have been with 
me from the beginning." ' 

The first verse above quoted has the same meaning as 
this last quotation. The second refers to the events of his 
life of which they were witnesses. He foresaw that the 
record of those events would be read by future generations, 
and compared with later experiments. He had left the 
power to heal as a heritage to all who should come after 
him, possessing the requisite faith ; and he knew that the 
testimony of his disciples concerning the works that he had 
performed would be compared with later exhibitions of 
the same power. He foresaw that the " Spirit of truth " 
would eventually discover the laws pertaining to his doc- 
trines and his works, and that a comparison of the testi- 
mony of his followers with the discoveries of science would 
demonstrate to the world the essential truth of his history 
and of his spiritual philosophy. 

I shall now briefly point out a few of the more sali- 
ent features of the history of Jesus which bear upon the 
subject under consideration, and shall undertake to show, 
first, how the discoveries of modern science confirm the 
accounts of his physical manifestations ; and secondly, 
how they confirm the essential features of his spiritual 
philosophy. 

The prominent feature of his physical manifestations 
consisted in healing the sick ; and in the discussion of the 
first division of the subject I shall confine myself to the 
consideration of that part of his career. 

1 John xv. 26, 27. 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST 347 

The first proposition bearing upon the subject is, that 
Jesus Christ was the first who correctly formulated the 
exact conditions necessary and indispensable to the exercise 
of the power to heal the sick by psychic methods. 

The second proposition is, that the conditions which he 
declared to be necessary to enable him to exercise that 
power are the same conditions which are indispensable 
to-day. 

These propositions will be considered together. 

The condition which he declared to be essential, not only 
in the patient, but in the healer, is embraced in the one 
word faith. That word, more than any other, expresses 
the whole law of human felicity and power in this world, 
and of salvation in the world to come. It is that attri- 
bute of mind which elevates man above the level of the 
brute, and gives him dominion over all the physical world. 
It is the essential element of success in every field of 
human endeavor. It constitutes the power of the human 
soul. When Jesus of Nazareth proclaimed its potency from 
the hill-tops of Palestine he gave to mankind the key to 
health and to heaven, and earned the title of Saviour of 
the World. 

It would seem to be a work of supererogation to cite par- 
ticular passages of the Scriptures or to employ argument to 
prove the correctness of the proposition that Jesus con- 
sidered faith in the patient a necessary condition of his 
recovery. The proposition is plainly true, and it has been 
so understood by all intelligent readers of the New Testa- 
ment until very recent times. There are those, however, 
who now seem to fear that Jesus will be robbed of his 
glory, and reduced to the common level of mankind, if it 
is shown that the conditions necessary to the success of 
the mental healer of to-day are the same as they were nine- 
teen hundred years ago. In other words, they endeavor to 
show that Jesus did not operate in harmony with the laws 
which he proclaimed, but independently and in defiance 
of the very principles of nature which it was his mission to 
illustrate and expound. He did not pretend to establish 



348 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

any new law of nature, but to teach mankind that which 
had been in existence from the beginning, to illustrate it in 
his life, and to sanction it by his death. He did not teach 
his disciples the principles and laws involved in healing the 
sick, and at the same time violate himself. He taught 
them his methods of healing, and sent them into the world 
to imitate his example. When they failed, as they occa- 
sionally did fail, he reproved them for neglecting his teach- 
ings, and upbraided them for their want of faith. When 
the lunatic was brought to him, and he was told that his 
disciples had failed to cast out the devil which afflicted 
the patient, Jesus exclaimed : " O faithless and perverse 
generation, how long shall I be with you ? how long shall 
I suffer you?" After he had cast out the devil, the dis- 
ciples asked him why they could not cast him out. 

" And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief : for 
verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard 
seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder 
place ; and it shall remove ; and nothing shall be impossible 
unto you." x . 

His expression concerning their power to remove moun- 
tains doubtless had reference to the fact that ponderable 
bodies can be moved by subjective power, under proper con- 
ditions, as has been frequently demonstrated in later times. 

Many passages might be quoted illustrating the propo- 
sition that faith was a necessary condition in the minds 
of the apostolic healers ; but it is believed that no one will 
gainsay the proposition. It may be said, however, that 
Jesus did not require faith in himself to enable him to heal 
the sick, — that he healed independently of that law. The 
obvious answer is that he had that knowledge of his power 
which transcended faith ; or rather, that he had the faith 
which came from knowledge of that power. In the sense 
that faith ceases where knowledge begins, he may be said 
not to have had faith. His disciples arrived at that point 
after an experimental demonstration of their power; and 

1 Matthew xvii 20. 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST. 349 

so may we all do likewise. As I have shown in a former 
chapter, subjective faith may be acquired in direct con- 
tradiction to objective faith or belief; but after an experi- 
mental demonstration of the power of subjective faith, 
objective belief no longer sets up an auto-suggestion against 
it. It then becomes knowledge, and in that sense it ceases 
to be faith. Nevertheless, in the sense in which it is said 
that the healer must have faith to enable him to heal the 
sick, he has faith. In that sense it cannot be disputed that 
Jesus had faith in his power to heal the sick. It is thought, 
therefore, that enough has been said to demonstrate the 
proposition that faith was a requisite element in the healers 
of Jesus' time. Certainly no one will dispute the proposi- 
tion that it is necessary in the psychic healers of to-day. 
We may consider, therefore, that two points in our argument 
are established, — namely (1), that the conditions requisite 
in psychic healers of this day are identical with those re- 
quired in apostolic times; and (2) that Jesus was the first 
to proclaim the principle and to exemplify it in his works. 
The difference is not in principle, but in degree of power. 

It is said, however, that Jesus did not require faith in 
those whom he healed. The first answer to this proposi- 
tion is that there is nothing in his recorded words to war- 
rant the statement. He never professed to be able to heal 
independently of that condition. On the contrary, all his 
expressions on that subject lead to the inevitable conclu- 
sion that faith was a necessary condition of the patient's 
mind to enable him to effect a cure. It may be true that 
in some cases he said nothing about it ; but this is only 
negative evidence, and of the weakest kind, in view of what 
he did say on the numerous occasions when circumstances 
required an utterance on the subject. 

A striking instance of healing, and a fair example of his 
utterances on this subject, is recorded in Matthew ix. 28, 
2 9> 3° • ~ 

" And when he was come into the house, the blind men came 
to him : and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able 
to do this ? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. 



3 50 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

" Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith 
be it unto you. 

" And their eyes were opened." 

Jesus was not in the habit of uttering idle words, or 
words without significance. In all history there is not an 
example recorded of a man whose reticence was so marked. 
Every word he uttered conveyed some important lesson to 
humanity. It does not seem probable that he would ques- 
tion those poor blind men regarding their faith in his power, 
unless their faith was an important factor in the case. 

The case of the ten lepers of Samaria and Galilee has 
been cited as an instance of his healing in the absence of 
faith on the part of the patients : — 

" And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten 
men that were lepers, which stood afar off : 

"And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, 
have mercy on us. 

" And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show your- 
selves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, 
they were cleansed. 

" And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned 
back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 

" And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks : 
and he was a Samaritan. 

"And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? 
but where are the nine ? 

" There are not found that returned to give glory to God, 
save this stranger. 

" And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way : thy faith hath 
made thee whole." x 

It has been said that this passage shows that nine out of 
the ten were healed without the exercise of faith on their 
part, because he said to but one of them, " Thy faith hath 
made thee whole." The obvious answer to this is that he 
had no opportunity to say it to the rest. There was but 
one of the ten who exhibited sufficient gratitude to return 
and give thanks for what had been done for him. That the 
rest were healed in the same way is obvious. That they 

1 Luke xvii. 12-19. 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST. 351 

all had faith in his power is evidenced by the fact that 
they cried to him from afar off, " Jesus, Master, have mercy 
on us." I submit that that is not the language of doubt. 

Again, it has been said that in the cases where he raised 
from the dead there could have been no faith on the part 
of the dead. This is by all odds the strongest case that 
could be cited in support of the theory that faith was not 
required. But the objection instantly vanishes when we 
remember that it is the faith of the subjective mind, or the 
soul, that is required ; and that the belief of the objective 
mind has only a limited control, governed by circumstances. 1 
When Jesus raised a person from the dead, the conditions 
were, in one sense of the word, the best possible to enable 
him to obtain complete mastery of the soul of the deceased 
by the power of suggestion. The objective senses were 
in complete abeyance, the body was dead ; consequently, 
there was no objective auto-suggestion of doubt possible. 
The soul, in obedience to the universal law, was amenable 
to control by the mysterious power of suggestion. Jesus, 
possessing more subjective power than any one who has 
ever lived, commanded the soul of the deceased to return 
to its earthly tenement. He may not have employed ob- 
jective language when he issued his command, but his 
soul, in perfect telepathic communion with that of the de- 
ceased, and dominating it as only he could dominate the 
souls of men, issued his mental mandate to the departing 
soul to return to the body and resume its functions. That 
command it must obey, and it did obey. There was no 
law of nature violated or transcended. On the contrary, 
the whole transaction was in perfect obedience to the laws 
of nature. He understood the law perfectly, as no one 
before him understood it ; and in the plenitude of his 
power he applied it where the greatest good could be 
accomplished. 

The case of Jairus' daughter is a perfect illustration of 
the fact that he perfectly understood the mental conditions 
necessary to enable him to raise her from the dead. Jairus, 

1 See the chapters on Mental Therapeutics. 



352 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

one of the rulers of the synagogue, besought Jesus to come 
to his house and heal his daughter, who was lying at the 
point of death. Jesus readily complied with the request ; 
but before they arrived, word was sent to Jairus that the 
damsel was dead : — 

" While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the syna- 
gogue's house certain, which said, Thy daughter is dead : why 
troublest thou the Master any further? 

" As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith 
unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. 

" And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and 
James, and John the brother of James. 

" And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, 
and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. 

" And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make 
ye this ado, and weep ? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. 

" And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them 
all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and 
them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was 
lying. 

" And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, 
Talitha cumij which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto 
thee, arise. 

" And straightway the damsel arose, and walked ; for she was 
of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a 
great astonishment. 

" And he charged them straitly that no man should know it ; 
and commanded that something should be given her to eat." x 

There are several points embraced in the above which 
are deserving of serious consideration. 

The first is that Christ perfectly understood the importance 
of securing for his patient a favorable mental environment. 
To that end he endeavored to quiet the fears of the father, 
and to impress upon him the necessity of holding his mind 
in the attitude of faith and confidence. The father was 
necessarily in telepathic rapport with the daughter, and it 
was important that he should not impress his doubts and 
fears upon her departing soul. The injunction was, there- 
fore, laid upon him, " Be not afraid, only believe." 

1 Mark v. 35-43. 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST. 353 

He also understood the value of a positive mental force 
surrounding the deceased, which would be in perfect har- 
mony with his own force and purpose. To that end, he 
selected three of the most powerful of his followers, Peter, 
James, and John, to be present in the chamber of death, 
and he suffered no one else to follow him. He kept the 
multitude of unbelievers as far away as possible. When he 
came to the house and saw the tumult, and heard the weep- 
ing and wailing of the friends and relatives of the deceased, 
he not only put them all out of the room, but sought to 
quiet their fears by the only way possible, which was by 
assuring them that " the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth." 
These words possess a double meaning, a double purpose ; 
and some have supposed that they implied that the damsel 
was only in a cataleptic trance. It is probable, however, 
that they were uttered in the sense that the soul never dies. 
It will be remembered that he used the same expression in 
regard to Lazarus, but afterwards explained his meaning by 
declaring that Lazarus was really dead in the common ac- 
ceptation of the term. His object in using that expression 
was twofold. First, he desired to quiet the fears and stop 
the lamentations of the friends and relatives, for the obvious 
reason that their hopeless wailing must operate as a strong 
adverse suggestion to the soul of the patient. The only 
way that could be accomplished was by an assurance that 
the damsel was not dead. Secondly, he knew the potency 
of such a suggestion upon the patient herself. It was the 
master-stroke on his part, first, to quiet the fears of the rela- 
tives, and secondly, to fill the departing soul with the 
subjective faith necessary to enable him successfully to com- 
mand it to return to the body. That this was his object 
in uttering those words there can be no reasonable doubt ; 
more especially as it is precisely what an intelligent mental 
healer who thoroughly understands the law of suggestion 
would do to-day, in the light of recent rediscoveries in the 
science which Jesus taught. 

Here, then, are seven separate and distinct acts which he 
performed, all tending in the one direction : — 

23 



354 THE LAW 0F PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

i . He inspired the father with faith, because he was in 
telepathic rapport with his daughter. 

2. He prohibited the multitude of unbelievers from ap- 
proaching the house, knowing the adverse influence of an 
atmosphere of incredulity and doubt. 

3. He took three of his most powerful apostles with 
him, for the purpose of surrounding the patient with an 
atmosphere of faith and courage. 

4. He excluded the weeping friends and relatives from 
the sick room, for the same reason that he prevented the 
multitude from following him. 

5. He assured them that the damsel was not dead, for 
the purpose of inspiring them with faith and hope in her 
recovery, and thus adding another favorable element to the 
mental environment. 

6. By the same words of assurance that the damsel was 
not dead he conveyed to her subjective mind the most pow- 
erful suggestion possible, — indeed, the onry suggestion ap- 
plicable to the exigencies of the case. 

7. Having thus secured the best possible conditions, he 
took the damsel by the hand, and, by an energetic command, 
restored her to life. 

The sceptic will doubtless interpose the objection that the 
damsel could not have been dead, but that it was merely a 
case of suspended animation. To this the reply is, first, 
that it is claimed by the Eastern adepts that as long as the 
vital organs of the body are perfect, it is always possible to 
compel the soul to return to its habitation. It is certain 
that there are many apparently well-authenticated instances 
of the performance of the feat even in the Western hemi- 
sphere. The second and most pertinent reply is that the 
evidential value of the case is just as great, supposing it to 
have been a case of suspended animation. The point is 
that Jesus could not have taken the course he did if he had 
not been in full possession of the knowledge of the laws per- 
taining to mental therapeutics. This one case is demonstra- 
tive, first, that he perfectly understood the laws of telepathy ; 
and secondly, that he fully understood the law of suggestion. 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST 355 

Indeed, Jesus was the first discoverer of that law, for the 
word faith is an epitome of the whole law of suggestion. 
In short, the internal evidence of the exact truth of this 
narrative is demonstrative, in view of what is now known of 
the laws of mental healing. For, in his day, no one but 
he knew enough about those laws to enable him to carry 
out the minute details of the process ; and, a fortiori, no 
one could have written the narrative in the absence of 
an exemplar. 

There are two other points embraced in the last para- 
graph of the narrative which must not be overlooked. 

"And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; 
and commanded that something should be given her to eat." 

The injunction of secrecy contained in the first part of 
the paragraph was often laid upon those whom he healed. 
"See thou tell no man " was an injunction which was often 
repeated by him in the course of his career as a healer of 
the sick, and it still further illustrates his wonderful knowl- 
edge of the science of mental therapeutics. The reason 
for so charging his beneficiaries has only recently been dis- 
covered. It is this : When a person is suddenly healed 
by mental processes, it becomes a matter of the first im- 
portance that he should not talk on the subject in public, 
or to persons who are sceptical. The reason is that scep- 
tical persons are apt to dispute the facts or to ridicule the 
idea of healing by such processes. They often say to a 
patient : " You have been cured by exciting your imagina- 
tion, and the disease will return as soon as the excitement 
is over." This constitutes a suggestion which must act un- 
favorably, and it often causes the patient to look for the 
predicted return of the disease. His fears are aroused by 
imperceptible degrees ; and if the suggestion is persisted 
in, the fears will eventually be realized. A person must 
needs be well grounded in the faith, and well versed in the 
science, to resist the insidious influence of an unfavorable 
suggestion constantly reiterated by his sceptical friends. It 
is, therefore, of the highest importance that the injunction 



356 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

of Christ should be observed. That he did not utter those 
words idly, and without a full knowledge of the principles 
involved, cannot be doubted. 

" And he commanded that something should be given her 
to eat." These words show merely that he did not despise 
the ordinary means of imparting vigor to the wasted frame. 
As we have remarked in a former chapter, he did not hesi- 
tate to employ material remedies in connection with, and 
auxiliary to, his occult power. The mental healers of to-day 
would do well to profit by the example of the Master, espe- 
cially when their patients are new to the faith, or, from any 
cause, refractory. 

Taken as a whole, the narrative of the raising of Jairus' 
daughter from the dead conveys the best lesson in mental 
therapeutics which has ever been given to mankind. No 
mental healer of this day, even though he may be thor- 
oughly versed in all the discoveries of modern science 
relating to mental therapeutics, could make it more 
complete. 

Again I repeat that no man who lived in the days of 
Christ could have written that narrative except under the 
inspiration of literal truth. The scientific knowledge neces- 
sary for the production of a fictitious narrative correspond- 
ing to that did not exist in the minds of men previous to 
this, the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Up to this 
time the knowledge of the scientific principles involved was 
confined to one man, — Christ Jesus. 

It is noteworthy, in this connection, that Jesus was in the 
habit of healing by what is known at this day as " absent 
treatment ; " that is, healing when at a distance from the 
patient, and without his knowledge. The healing of the 
nobleman's son at Capernaum is a striking example of 
this. The nobleman met Jesus at Cana, and besought him 
to heal his son, who was at the point of death. Without 
going near the patient, Christ said to the nobleman : " Go 
thy way; thy son liveth." It was afterwards ascertained 
that at the same hour the fever left the young man, and 
he recovered. The principles involved in absent treat- 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST. 357 

ment have been fully explained in another chapter, and will 
not be repeated here ; I may remark, however, that the 
most perfect faith that can be obtained for therapeutic pur- 
poses is that which arises from a telepathic suggestion to 
the subjective mind of the patient, when he is objectively 
ignorant of the fact that anything is being done for him. It 
is evident that Jesus fully understood this law, as he did 
all the laws of mental therapeutics. The patient in this 
case was objectively ignorant of the effort made to heal him ; 
he was, therefore, objectively passive, and no adverse auto- 
suggestion was possible. The father also was full of faith, or 
he would not have entreated Jesus in such earnest and pa- 
thetic terms to save his son. The conditions were therefore 
as perfect as possible for successful absent treatment. 

The healing of the centurion's servant was a parallel case. 
It was on this occasion that Jesus declared, " I have not 
found so great faith, no, not in Israel." 

It is needless to multiply instances to illustrate the fact 
that Jesus healed by the same law which prevails at this 
day, — the law of faith. It seems like arguing a self-evident 
proposition to show that he required that condition on the 
part of the patient to enable him to heal the sick or to do 
any mighty work. He never pretended to be able to dis- 
pense with that condition, or to be superier to the law which 
he proclaimed to the world. When he said anything about 
it he always gave the patients to understand that it was 
through faith that they were made whole. The New Testa- 
ment is full of such expressions as : " Thy faith hath made 
thee whole; " "According to your faith be it unto you; " 
" If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that 
believeth ; " " Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldst 
believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God? " These were 
neither idle nor untruthful expressions. 

On the other hand, it was said of him that at his own 
home he failed to do many mighty works, " because of their 
unbelief." The condition was absent there, because the 
people had known him from boyhood, and could not be- 
lieve that the " carpenter's son " could do any mighty works. 



358 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

Besides, as Jesus himself remarked, " a prophet is not with- 
out honor save in his own country." 

Faith was the essential prerequisite to the exercise of 
all the power that he possessed, and it was the condition 
precedent to its inheritance by those who were to come 
after him. 

"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my 
name shall they cast out devils ; they shall speak with new 
tongues ; 

"They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly 
thing, it shall not hurt them ; they shall lay hands on the sick, 
and they shall recover." x 

Again, — 

" Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the 
works that I do shall he do also ; and greater works than these 
shall he do ; because I go unto my Father." 2 

Christ transmitted his power as a sacred heritage to all 
mankind. He had taught his followers, by precept and 
example, the conditions necessary to its exercise. Those 
conditions were expressed in the one word, faith. He never 
intimated to them that he healed by any other method than 
that which he transmitted to them. His example would 
have been lost to mankind if it were not illustrative of his 
precepts. It would be valueless to the world if it did not 
illustrate the principles of the science which he taught. To 
seek to cast a shade of doubt upon the verity of his teach- 
ings, to intimate a want of harmony between his practice 
and his precepts, is to attempt to rob him of the glory and 
honor due to one who was able to divine the fundamental 
laws of our being, nineteen hundred years before his teach- 
ings could be verified by the inductive process of science, 
and to destroy the force of the strongest internal evidence 
of the truth of sacred history. 

1 Mark xvi. 17, 18. 2 John. xiv. 12. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST {continued}. 

The Word Faith in its Application to Psychic Phenomena. — Its 
Definition. — An Epitome of the Law of Suggestion. — Subjective 
Faith only required. — Illustrative Incident. — The "Spoken 
Word." — Jesus knew the Law, and always acted within its Limi- 
tations. — Intuitive Perception of the Laws of the Soul. — His 
^Manhood and its Limitations. — Our Warranty of Title as Sons 
of God. — Christ constantly controlled by Reason. — His Subjec- 
tive Powers subservient. — The Three Temptations illustrative. 
— The Great Lesson to Mankind. — The Normal Exercise of 
Subjective Power. — Simon the Sorcerer. — Miracle not a Neces- 
sary Explanation of the Power of Christ. — Conclusions. 

IN proceeding to* make a more direct application of our 
hypothesis to the doctrines of Jesus, it will be necessary 
first to consider the meaning of the word faith as it was 
employed by him, and as it must be understood in its 
application to all psychic phenomena. 

In the common acceptation of the term, faith is " belief; 
the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by 
another, resting solely and implicitly on his authority and 
veracity; reliance on testimony." 1 "The faith of the 
gospel is that emotion of the mind which is called ' trust,' 
or ' confidence,' exercised towards the moral character of 
God, and particularly of the Saviour." 2 

It is obvious that neither of these definitions properly 
characterizes that emotion of the mind, called faith, which 
is the necessary prerequisite condition of the mind of a 



1 Webster. 



2 Dwight 



360 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

person to enable him to confer or to receive the benefits 
of psychic power. 

It has been shown in a former chapter that the faith 
necessary to enable a person to be healed by mental pro- 
cesses is subjective faith; that is, the faith of the subjec- 
tive mind, or soul. It has been shown that this faith may 
be entertained by the subjective mind in positive opposi- 
tion to the faith, or belief, of the objective mind, — that 
it may be forced upon the subjective mind in defiance of 
objective reason or the evidence of the objective senses. 
It is not deemed necessary, therefore, to enter at this time 
into a full discussion of this branch of the subject, and 
the reader is referred to the chapters on psycho-thera- 
peutics. In this view of the question it is obvious that the 
definition of the word faith must be revised if we would 
understand it as Christ understood it, and make it conform 
to the facts demonstrated by modern science. In other 
words, we must define that particular kind of faith which 
pertains to the development and exercise of psychic power, 
— that faith of which Christ was the first to proclaim the 
necessity and define the attributes. 

Faith, therefore, in the sense in which Jesus employed 
it, may be defined as the assent of the soul, or subjective 
mind, to the truth of what is declared to be true. 

In other words, faith is that emotion of the human soul 
which consists in the unhesitating acceptance and belief in 
the absolute verity of a suggestion. 

As has been frequently stated before, the belief of the 
subjective mind in the verity of a suggestion made to it is 
the essential and never-failing law of its being. If the 
suggestion made to it is not counteracted by an auto-sug- 
gestion proceeding from the objective mind of the indi- 
vidual, it will always be unhesitatingly accepted. If it is 
controverted by auto-suggestion, the strongest suggestion 
must prevail. This law is universal. It frequently hap- 
pens that a therapeutic suggestion is counteracted by auto- 
suggestion. The latter may arise from intense prejudice, 
or from natural scepticism regarding phenomena not under- 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST. 36 1 

stood. It is, however, comparatively easy to overcome an 
auto-suggestion, in the treatment of disease, for the pa- 
tient is generally anxious to be cured, and is willing to 
assume a passive state of mind ; and this is generally all 
that is necessary. Moreover, the subjective mind, ever on 
the alert for any means of preserving the life or health of 
the individual, will readily accept a therapeutic suggestion if 
there is no active counter auto-suggestion. If the healer 
understands the law of auto-suggestion, and advises his 
patient that he can overcome the erTect of objective un- 
belief by a simple assertion of belief, salutary results all the 
more readily follow. 

A remarkable instance illustrating this principle occurred 
in the history of Jesus. It was in the case of the man 
who brought his son to be healed, who was afflicted with 
a " dumb spirit." He had gone to Jesus' disciples, who 
failed to effect a cure. In despair, he appealed to the 
Master, saying : — 

" If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and 
help us. 

" Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are 
possible to him that believeth. 

" And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said 
with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." 1 

Whereupon Jesus rebuked the foul spirit and commanded 
it to come out of the boy, " and enter no more into him." 
And the boy was instantly healed. 

Now, the whole circumstances surrounding this case were 
calculated to render the father sceptical concerning the 
power of Jesus to heal his son. He had gone to the dis- 
ciples, and they had failed. When he appealed to Jesus he 
said : " If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, 
and help us." This expression plainly implied a doubt. 
After Jesus had explained that belief was a necessary condi- 
tion of success, the father cried out : " Lord, I believe ; help 
thou mine unbelief." This expression plainly indicated 
a want of objective faith. But he spoke the words, " I 

1 Mark ix. 22-24. 



362 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

believe," and then intimated to Jesus that his real belief 
depended upon him. He uttered the words " I believe " 
in pursuance of an earnest desire to comply with the con- 
ditions imposed, and that was sufficient. These words con- 
stituted an auto-suggestion from his objective mind to his 
subjective mind; and Jesus was satisfied with that com- 
pliance with his demand for faith, and he instantly healed 
the sufferer. He knew the law, and was fully aware that any 
lingering objective doubt remaining in the father's objective 
mind could not prevail against the "spoken word " of faith. 

This case is also illustrative of the principle discussed 
in the previous chapter ; namely, the desirability of having a 
favorable mental environment, especially in cases where the 
objective mind of the patient could not be appealed to. 
The boy was in a state of complete objective insensibility. 
The father was the only one present who was in telepathic 
rapport with him. Hence the importance of impressing 
the father's subjective mind with faith, to the end that his 
mental condition might be impressed upon the subjective 
mind of the son, and by that means exert a favorable in- 
fluence upon the latter by telepathic suggestion. In this 
case the father's spoken word of belief was a more potent 
suggestion than his objective doubts, and the son's subjec- 
tive mind, ever alert, seized upon the suggestion ; and 
Jesus, by means of a suggestion uttered in a solemn tone 
of supreme authority, healed him instantly. 

I do not mean to say that Jesus could not heal in such 
cases where the mental environment was unfavorable ; but 
the fact that he took infinite pains, wherever practicable, 
to secure the best conditions, shows that he understood the 
law and worked within its limitations. 

Certain it is that he never performed any of his wonder- 
ful works outside the laws which he proclaimed, nor did 
he ever intimate that he could do so. It is true that his 
biographers did not always relate the details of the trans- 
actions recorded ; but it must be remembered that they 
wrote at a later day, and may not have been in possession 
of all the details. It is, however, a marvellous fact, 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST 363 

and one which constitutes indubitable evidence of the truth 
of his history, that in no instance do they relate a single 
act performed or word spoken by him, relating to the heal- 
ing of the sick, that does not reveal his perfect knowledge 
of and compliance with the laws which pertain to mental 
therapeutics as they are revealed in modern times through 
experiment and the processes of inductive reasoning. 

There is but one legitimate conclusion, and that is that 
the discoveries of modern science demonstrate the essential 
truth of the history of the physical manifestations of Jesus. 

The next question is, How did it happen that Jesus came 
into possession of the knowledge of the true science of 
mental therapeutics, when no one else in all the world at 
that time knew its rudiments? It may be true, and doubt- 
less it is true, that there were mental healers before his 
time, who, by various methods, performed wonderful works 
in psycho-therapeutics. But it must be conceded that he 
was the first who evinced a true knowledge of the underly- 
ing principles of the science. He it was who first divined 
the very essence of that science, and proclaimed it to the 
world in the one word faith. That word embraced all that 
it was necessary for the world to know at that time. Faith, 
and the means of acquiring it, is the substance of all that 
he taught to his disciples concerning the means of heal- 
ing the sick ; and it was all that was necessary to enable 
them to imitate his example and to transmit the power 
to those who should come after them. To use his own 
language, it was all that they could bear. It was the ex- 
oteric science of mental healing. The esoteric doctrine 
he reserved for the time when mankind, inspired by the 
"Spirit of truth," which he promised, should be able to 
discover it for themselves. His was the " dispensation of 
faith." The "dispensation of knowledge " was yet to come. 
That he was in possession of the knowledge of the under- 
lying principles of the whole science of mental healing is 
all but self-evident. No man without that knowledge could 
have done what he did to secure the most favorable con- 
ditions for the exercise of his power. It required a full 



364 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

comprehension of the law of suggestion, a thorough knowl- 
edge of the law of telepathy, a complete realization of the 
dual nature of the mind of man, and the power of the soul 
over the functions of the body, to enable him to take the 
seven steps preparatory to the raising of Jairus' daughter 
from the dead. If he had failed in that attempt, his pre- 
paratory steps to that end would nevertheless have demon- 
strated his knowledge of the laws which pertain to healing 
by psychic power. 

The theologian will find a ready-made answer to the 
question, How did Jesus come into possession of knowl- 
edge which it has taken nineteen hundred years of scien- 
tific research to verify? His answer will be: "By direct 
inspiration from God; by virtue of his being the Son of 
God, — one with the Father." I shall not attempt to gain- 
say this proposition, but shall endeavor to show that it is 
true in the highest and best sense of the expression. In 
doing so I shall not discuss the question of his miraculous 
birth ; I leave that to the theologian. I desire simply to 
show that, whatever may have been the conditions of his 
birth, he took upon himself the nature and attributes of 
humanity, and subjected himself to its physical conditions 
and limitations. In other words, his wondrous works were 
performed within the domain of the same natural laws 
which limit the powers of all mankind. He was a man, 
and merely a man, in his physical life and manifestations, 
and differed from other men only in the degree of his 
faculties and in the possession of the intuitive power of 
perception of the laws of the soul in its relations to the 
physical world and to God. 

I have shown that Jesus did not find it necessary to go 
outside the pale of natural law for the power to perform his 
mighty works, that he not only operated within the do- 
main of natural law, but even avowed and proclaimed the 
fact to the world. It remains for me to show that his 
knowledge of those laws was obtained through the operation 
of natural law, and without the necessity of our invoking 
the aid of miraculous power. 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST. 365 

It will be remembered that in a former chapter of this 
book it was shown that the subjective mind, or soul, of man 
possesses the inherent power to perceive, under certain ex- 
ceptional conditions not clearly defined, those operations of 
nature which are governed by fixed laws. It was by means 
of this power of instantaneous perception of the laws of 
numbers that Zerah Colburn, before his objective education 
was sufficient to enable him to understand the power of the 
nine digits, was enabled instantly to state the cube root of 
any number that was given him. He could never give any 
explanation of the means by which the result was accom- 
plished. It was beyond his own objective powers of com- 
prehension. He simply perceived the truth. 

It was this power that enabled Blind Tom to perceive the 
laws of the harmony of sounds. He was without objective 
education, and devoid of the capacity to acquire one ; but 
from the moment when he discovered an old piano in an 
unused room of his master's mansion, he was able to im- 
provise beautiful melodies, and to reproduce with remarka- 
ble accuracy a piece of music after once hearing it played. 

This is a power which transcends reason, and is indepen- 
dent of induction. Instances of its development might be 
multiplied indefinitely, but it is not necessary in this con- 
nection to enlarge upon a fact which will receive the instant 
assent of the intelligent reader when his attention is called 
to it. In this objective existence of ours, trammelled as is 
the human soul by its fleshly tabernacle, it is comparatively 
rare that conditions are favorable to the development of the 
phenomena. But enough is known to warrant the con- 
clusion that when the soul is released from its objective 
environment it will be enabled to perceive all the laws of 
its being, to "see God as he is," by the perception of the 
laws which he has instituted. It is the knowledge of this 
power which demonstrates our true relationship to God, 
which confers the warranty of our right to the title of " sons 
of God," and confirms our inheritance of our rightful share 
of his attributes and powers, — our heirship of God, our 
joint heirship with Jesus Christ. 



366 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

It was this power of perception of truth without the neces- 
sity of resorting to the slow and laborious processes of 
induction that enabled Christ to divine the whole law 
of mental therapeutics. Science, after nineteen hundred 
years of induction, has demonstrated the fact that he per- 
ceived the whole law and applied it with scientific accu- 
racy. The most marvellous part of it all is that the account 
of it has been preserved and transmitted with such fidelity 
of scientific detail. 

Leaving out of consideration the question of the alleged 
miraculous conception and birth of Christ, it is certain that 
he was exceptionally endowed, morally, physically, and 
mentally. No man ever before possessed the subjective 
power that he did. And yet, unlike most of those of mod- 
ern times who are exceptionally endowed with that power, 
his objective faculties and his subjective powers seem to 
have been harmoniously balanced and developed. This is 
shown by his perfect moral character and attributes. It 
is demonstrated by the fact that his subjective mind was 
always under the perfect control of his reason. In these 
respects he presents a most striking contrast to the great 
majority of persons, especially of the present day, who are 
in possession of great subjective powers. Not clearly un- 
derstanding the relationship between their objective and 
subjective faculties, they allow the latter to usurp control. 
They realize the wonderful powers and attributes of the 
human soul, but they fail to understand its equally wonder- 
ful, but necessary, limitations. They realize that the soul 
is "God in us," and naturally conclude that it is endowed 
with all godlike attributes. They fail to realize that while it 
is imprisoned in the body, it must be limited and controlled 
by its objective environment. They cannot understand that 
the soul, as long as it is amenable to control by the power 
of suggestion, must necessarily be limited in its powers of 
reasoning. Most important of all, they fail to understand 
that the soul is the seat of all human passion and emotion; 
that, uncontrolled by objective reason, it runs riot at the 
bidding of every immoral suggestion; that his objective 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST 367 

powers of reason were given to man to enable him to train 
the soul for eternity, — to work out his own salvation. 

The whole life of Christ is an illustration of the fact that 
he knew the law, and, knowing it, employed his subjective 
powers in their legitimate domain, and never suffered himself 
to be tempted to allow them to usurp the throne of reason. 

The account of his temptations in the wilderness is a 
striking illustration of this fact, and it teaches a lesson to 
humanity of the utmost practical importance. Like all the 
recorded events of his life, it is intended to illustrate a 
great principle. It is not a mere literal history of an epi- 
sode in his career, in which a personal devil figured at a dis- 
advantage. To suppose that he could be tempted by such a 
devil as has been pictured by some, would be to degrade 
him below the level of common humanity. But to interpret 
the story as a symbolical vision appearing to Christ after his 
forty days' fast in the wilderness, is to find in it one of the 
most important lessons ever conveyed to humanity. 

He was just entering upon his ministry. He had shut 
himself out from the world for forty days, preparatory to 
entering upon his work. He employed his time in silent 
contemplation and earnest prayer for strength and power 
and Divine guidance. He fasted all this time, as a physical 
preparation necessary to the attainment of the full powers of 
the soul. At the end of that time, conscious of the full pos- 
session of subjective power such as no man ever before 
attained, contemplating the career upon which he was about 
to enter, realizing all its possibilities for good and all its 
opportunities for the attainment of personal power and 
aggrandizement, the temptation came. His subjective mind 
was the tempter. Reasoning deductively from the con- 
sciousness of transcendent power, and selfishly, in obedience 
to the laws of its being, it pictured to the imagination of 
Jesus all the possibilities in store for him if he chose to 
exercise his power for selfish ends. The first temptation 
appealed to his sense of personal necessity. He was poor. 
"He had not where to lay his head" at night. He was 
dependent upon the bounty of his friends for his daily food. 



368 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

In the pursuit of his mission he had the prospect before him 
of being often thrown among strangers hostile to his faith ; 
and his immediate necessities, after his forty days' fast, gave 
intensity to the temptation and suggested its concrete form. 
It came in the words : " If thou be the Son of God, com- 
mand that these stones be made bread." Jesus understood 
the vision, not only as pertaining to his present necessities, 
but, in its broader sense, as a temptation to the exercise of 
his power for selfish personal ends, for the promotion of his 
individual ease and comfort. 

It was then that his objective power of reason asserted 
itself, and he refused to allow his subjective mind to usurp 
control. He knew that his mission on earth could not be 
promoted by the employment of his subjective powers for 
the purpose of ministering to his own selfish wants. There- 
fore he spurned a temptation which, if yielded to, would 
weaken the altruistic sentiment which was regnant in him. 

His next temptation followed the first in deductive logical 
sequence. It came in the form of a symbolical vision, in 
which he saw himself placed upon a pinnacle of the temple, 
and a voice said : " If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself 
down : for it is written, He shall give his angels charge con- 
cerning thee : and in their hands they shall bear thee up, 
lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." This 
suggestion was a sequence to the other, for it was as much 
as to say : " If you wish to heal the sick, exhibit your power 
in public, where all men can see and know that you have 
the power to preserve your own life. Then will you receive 
the plaudits of the multitude, and their faith in you will be 
made strong." 

His answer to this, " Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy 
God," conveys, in one brief sentence, a valuable and impor- 
tant lesson pertaining to the exercise of subjective power, — 
a lesson the importance of which, in its application to the 
science of mental therapeutics, cannot be overestimated. 
In its general sense it means that subjective power should 
never be exercised for purposes of mere display. The 
tempter appealed to his love of approbation, his pride of 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST 369 

power, his desire for the plaudits of the multitude, tempered 
by the insidious suggestion that, by the public exhibition of 
his power, he could all the more readily secure the confi- 
dence of the people and promote the object of his mission. 
He had refused to exercise his power for the purpose of 
securing his own ease and comfort, for the reason that his 
mission, in part, was to relieve the sufferings of others ; and 
now he was tempted to promote that object by a public dis- 
play in the presence of an admiring multitude. There was 
nothing morally wrong in either suggestion. It is not wrong, 
per se, to produce bread, or to take measures to secure our 
own comfort. Nor is it wrong, in itself, to give a public ex- 
hibition for a good purpose ; but from the standpoint from 
which he viewed it, both were wrong in principle and practice. 
The first would interfere with, and endanger the success of, 
his mission ; the second would be trifling with the gift of God. 
It would be a wanton exercise of a power which is given, not 
for idle display, but for the promotion of the highest good 
of mankind, when exercised within its legitimate sphere. 

But there was another and a more potent reason still for 
his refusal to exercise his power for purposes of display. It 
is a reason which the world is just beginning to appreciate. 
It is a reason which finds its justification in the fundamental 
principles pertaining to the exercise of psychic power. As 
in all the words and deeds of Christ, there was a scientific 
principle underlying the sententious expression employed in 
his rejection of the second temptation. This principle ap- 
plies with special force to the employment of psychic power 
to the healing of the sick. 

It has been shown in a former chapter that the normal 
functions of the subjective entity consist in the performance 
of those acts which tend to the preservation and perpetu- 
ation of the human race. It has also been shown that 
all exercise of subjective power outside that domain is ab- 
normal, and, consequently, injurious. As this subject has 
been sufficiently enlarged upon elsewhere, it need only be 
mentioned here. It was this principle which Christ desired 
to illustrate and enforce, and he never neglected an oppor- 

*4 



370 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

tunity to do so by precept or example. As before remarked, 
it applies with special force to the exercise of that power for 
the purpose of healing, and it teaches a most important and 
salutary lesson both to healer and patient. It is this : that 
no one should ever presume to violate the laws of health for 
the mere purpose of showing to himself or to others that he 
has the psychic power to heal himself. A necessary or an 
unavoidable act may be performed which is ordinarily inju- 
rious to health, or even dangerous to life, and psychic power 
may be invoked to avert the natural consequences ; but 
when one wantonly violates the laws of health for the mere 
purposes of display, he is apt to find that the power to avert 
the consequences has deserted him. He has violated the 
commandment uttered by the Saviour on that occasion : 
"Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." He has vio- 
lated a law of nature, a law of psycho-therapeutics, which 
Christ thus sententiously formulated for the guidance of all 
who should come after him. Like all the other laws which 
he revealed to mankind, it applies with equal force now as 
it did when he first promulgated it nineteen hundred years 
ago ; and it may safely be said that there is no one act of 
his life that more clearly discloses his perfect knowledge 
of the laws which pertain to the normal exercise of subjec- 
tive power than his rejection of the three temptations. 

His next temptation came in the form of a symbolical 
vision, in which he saw himself, figuratively, upon the top 
of " an exceeding high mountain," from which he could view 
" the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them." 

The other temptations attacked his usefulness as a man. 
The third was directed against his spiritual mission also. 
It came in a more insidious form than either the first or 
second, for its promises included both. It was equivalent 
to saying : " You see the wide world before you, with all its 
comforts, its honors and glory, its wealth and splendor and 
power. All these can you acquire by the exercise of that 
potent force with which you have been invested." 

"Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is 
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only 
shalt thou serve." 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST. 371 

Again had reason triumphed over the natural, instinctive 
suggestions of his human nature. Again had he refused to 
employ the power with which he had been invested, outside 
the limits of its legitimate domain. Again had he taught a 
lesson to humanity by illustrating the normal relations be- 
tween the objective and subjective faculties, — between 
reason and instinct. In his rejection of the last temptation 
he did more, — he exhibited his entire devotion to the ob- 
jects of his spiritual mission. He had come into the world, 
taking upon himself the yoke and burden of common hu- 
manity. He was circumscribed by the limitations of its 
laws, municipal, ecclesiastical, and natural. He willingly 
obeyed them all. His lot was cast among a poor and 
humble people. He must mingle familiarly with them if he 
would impress them with the grand and awful simplicity of 
his philosophy. If he placed himself above the laws of the 
land, he would be proscribed. If he transcended or violated 
the laws of nature, his example would be lost to common 
humanity. If he sought the worldly wealth and secular 
power which was within his grasp, he would be feared, but 
not loved, by the people whose destiny it was to be the first 
recipients of his teachings, the beneficiaries of his power, 
the witnesses of his example, the recorders of his testament. 

This digression from the main point of our present argu- 
ment seemed necessary in order to show how perfectly the 
subjective mind of Jesus was under the control of his objec- 
tive reason. Besides, there is no one act of his life that 
more clearly discloses his perfect knowledge of the laws 
which pertain to the normal exercise of subjective power, 
and his firm determination never to exercise that power 
outside of its legitimate domain, or for purposes of private 
advantage or emolument, than his rejection of the three 
temptations. That these principles actuated him is shown 
by his every act and word. That he taught them in their 
purity to his apostles is shown in the indignant reply of 
Peter to Simon the sorcerer, who offered a money consid- 
eration to Peter to purchase the secret of his power. Know- 
ing that Simon was a professional magician, and suspecting 



3/2 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

that he desired only to add to his repertoire of stock exhi- 
bitions of occult powers, the apostle rebuked him in these 
memorable words : — 

" Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that 
the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast 
neither part nor lot in this matter : for thy heart is not right in 
the sight of God." * 

I now recur to the main question under discussion : How 
did Jesus obtain the scientifically accurate and exclusive 
knowledge of the laws pertaining to the exercise of subjec- 
tive power, of which every act and word of his demonstrates 
his possession? 

The ready and easy answer of unreasoning faith is, 
" Miracle." But is it necessary in this case to invoke the 
aid of such an explanation ? Clearly not. Without enter- 
ing upon the discussion of the vexed question of the possible 
existence of the power to work a miracle, it must be held as 
a self-evident proposition that we should never convert an 
event into a miracle when there is a satisfactory explanation 
within the known laws of nature. 

In this case the necessity does not exist to presuppose a 
miraculous intervention of Divine power, since God has 
given to every human soul the inherent power, under certain 
conditions, to perceive and comprehend the fixed laws of 
nature. What those conditions are, we may never know. 
That they exist, the events within common knowledge amply 
demonstrate. That they are exceptional, goes without say- 
ing. No one man has ever been able to perceive all the 
laws during his objective existence. One perceives the law 
of numbers, another that of the harmony of sounds, another 
that of the harmony of colors, and so on. 

Jesus Christ perceived spiritual law. 

That his intuitions were scientifically exact, so far as they 
pertained to the subject of his physical manifestations in 
healing the sick, is amply demonstrated by comparison of 
what he did and said with the discoveries of modern science 
within this, the last quarter of the nineteenth century. 

1 Acts viii. 20, 21. 



THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST. 373 

I have purposely refrained from commenting on the ac- 
counts of his physical manifestations other than those of 
healing the sick, for the reason that science in the Western 
world as yet furnishes little or no data for comparison. I 
cannot refrain, however, from calling the attention of the 
reader to the fact that a few years ago sceptics were just 
as incredulous regarding the biblical accounts of Christ's 
healing the sick as they still are regarding his feeding of 
the multitude on the five loaves and the two fishes. It 
must be remembered that experimental knowledge of the 
occult sciences is still in its infancy in the Western world, 
and that what is regarded as a miracle to-day may be 
known to be a scientific fact to-morrow. In the mean 
time enough is known to the scientific world to-day to 
demonstrate the essential truth of the physical history of 
Jesus of Nazareth. It remains to show what light the 
scientific discoveries of the nineteenth century shed upon 
his spiritual philosophy. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



THE SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST. 



Even now, after eighteen centuries of Christianity, we may be involved 
in some enormous error, of which the Christianity of the future will make us 
ashamed. — Vinet. 

The Necessity of Signs and Wonders. — Christ's Work was for all 
Time. — His Consummate Wisdom. — Signs and Wonders as 
Evidence. — His Perception of Spiritual Laws. — The Perceptive 
Powers of the Soul. — Propositions. — Presumptive Evidence of 
his Knowledge of Spiritual Laws. — Condition precedent to Im- 
mortality. — Faith the Essential Condition. — The Declarations of 
Christ. — He meant just what He said. — The Doctrines of the 
Church. — Literal Extinction of the Soul through Unbelief — 
Belief essential to Salvation. — Belief will not avert the Conse- 
quences of Sin. — Inherent Probabilities. — The Conscious Exist- 
ence of the Soul. — The Law of Suggestion applied. — Scepticism 
constitutes a Fatal Suggestion. — Phenomena of Hypnotism illus- 
trative. — Souls of Animals have no Conscious Existence; hence 
not Immortal. — Christ as a Saviour of Souls. — His Doctrine 
new to the World, but scientifically correct. 

WHEN Jesus said to the nobleman of Capernaum, 
" Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not 
believe," he not only correctly summarized the then ex- 
isting attitude of the public mind in reference to the doc- 
trines which he proclaimed, but he declared with prophetic 
exactitude that which is as true to-day as it was when he 
uttered it in Galilee. He said it, not reproachfully, but as 
a statement of a condition inevitable from the nature of 
things, which must be recognized and dealt with in a prac- 
tical manner. The wisdom shown in yielding to the de- 
mand for " signs and wonders" in that day is obvious. 
Without it the people could not believe ; with it they 



THE SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST 375 

could not doubt. To them it was the power of God, 
working through miracle. It was to them a sign and 
symbol of puissance and authority. To doubt the word 
of one who was able to work such wonders was to doubt 
the evidence of their senses. Without that evidence the 
spiritual doctrines of Jesus would have been to them with- 
out sanction of authority. Logic and reason would have 
been wasted on the people of that age. Their belief that 
the signs and wonders were wrought in defiance of natural 
law was the only circumstance that could command their 
respect. Their idea was that the only way in which God 
could manifest his power was by some signal violation of 
his own laws. To attempt to show them that Christ healed 
the sick by a strict observance of natural law would have 
been as futile as to attempt to teach a new-born babe the 
principles of the differential calculus. To convince them 
of the fact would be to destroy their faith in the power of 
God. Jesus taught them all that they could understand, — 
all that it would benefit the world to know in that era of 
civilization. He was working, not only for the people of 
his own time, but for all future generations. He laid his 
foundations broad and deep, and with the most consum- 
mate wisdom. He not only conferred the benefits of his 
power upon the people of his own race and country, but he 
left indubitable evidences of th6 truth of his history and of 
his doctrines for all future generations. 

Conceding, for the sake of the argument, that Jesus pos- 
sessed the power to work a miracle, — that is, to work out- 
side of the domain of natural law and in defiance of it, — 
his consummate wisdom in refraining from the exercise of 
that power is now manifest. If he had wrought his won- 
ders by miracle, only the eye-witnesses of his works would 
have been benefited ; for there would have been no means 
provided by which future generations could verify his his- 
tory. But if he performed his works by and through the 
operations of natural law, it only remains for science to re- 
discover that law, in order to demonstrate the truth of his 
history. His consummate wisdom is, therefore, manifest 



376 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

in that he did leave a record, told with such accuracy of 
detail, that the science of this generation can verify its 
truth. 

The immediate necessity for showing signs and wonders 
to his people was what he declared it to be, — namely, 
"that they might believe" in him; that they might be 
convinced of his power, and have faith in his declaration. 

But he had a grander and a nobler object still than the 
conversion of the few people of his own race and country. 
He foresaw the time when mankind would not be content 
to rest its faith upon the dictum of a history written by 
obscure and unknown men ; when the world would refuse 
to believe in the possibility of miracles, and demand a 
reason for faith in him, in his works, and in his spiritual 
doctrines. We have already seen how amply the truth of 
the history of his physical manifestations has been vindi- 
cated by the discoveries of modern science. 

But he had a more far-reaching wisdom still. It would 
avail the world little, simply to know the truth of his physi- 
cal history, if by that means he could not demonstrate the 
truth of his spiritual doctrines and philosophy. And it is 
just here that his utterance to the nobleman of Capernaum 
applies with equal force to the people of the present day, 
" Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." 
It is now apparent that those signs and wonders were as 
necessary for the confirmation of the faith of the scientific 
investigator of to-day as they were to convince the people 
of his day that he was invested with power and authority. 
Without them there would have been no means by which 
we could prove even his probable existence. With them 
we are put into possession of data which, by comparison 
with the known facts of contemporary science, enable us 
to predicate with moral certainty his existence and the 
essential truth of his history. 

They do more. They enable us to know with scientific 
certainty that he was in possession of an accurate knowl- 
edge of the laws which pertain to his physical manifesta- 
tions ; and they logically justify us in the conclusion that 



THE SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST 377 

by the same means he obtained possession of a knowledge 
of the laws which pertain to the conditions of immortal life. 
The subject-matter is the same. His physical manifesta- 
tions were exhibitions of the powers of the soul. The phi- 
losophy of his psychic power is the philosophy of the soul 
in its relations to the physical man. The philosophy of 
immortality is the philosophy of the soul in its relations 
to God. A change in its environment does not change the 
nature or attributes of the soul ; and hence we may infer 
with irresistible logic that Jesus was as correct in his in- 
ferences or knowledge concerning the life beyond as he 
was scientifically accurate in his knowledge of the laws of 
the soul in its relation to its physical environment. 

In discussing the above proposition, the question as to 
how it was possible for Jesus to obtain a knowledge of the 
condition of the soul after the death of the body will first 
be considered. It has already been shown that under cer- 
tain conditions the soul perceives with absolute accuracy 
the fixed laws of nature. It has also been shown that the 
soul does not possess during its sojourn in the flesh the 
power of inductive reasoning, but that its powers of rea- 
soning deductively from any suggested premise are mar- 
vellous. I have ventured to use the expression in that 
connection, that " the subjective mind reasons deductively 
with extraordinary acumen." I have not ventured the as- 
sertion that its deductions are infallible, though there is good 
reason to believe that under certain conditions the asser- 
tion would be substantially correct. The instances cited of 
mathematical prodigies would seem to bear out that asser- 
tion. The power of perception in them must be perfect, 
or there would be nothing to distinguish them from other 
mathematicians. Their answers to mathematical problems, 
to be remarkable, must be correct. That they are correct 
would seem to give us warrant for the inference that under 
favorable conditions the powers of the soul for correct de- 
ductive reasoning, or perception of fixed laws, are perfect. 
If it is true in mathematics, it must be true in all other 
matters governed by fixed laws, especially since all the 



378 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

forces of nature are correlated, and all are governed by 
mathematical laws. 

It has also been shown that the deductions of the sub- 
jective mind are always logically accurate, even though the 
premises may be false. Any one who has had experience 
in dealing with persons in a hypnotic trance will bear me 
out in that statement. 

The question now arises, What are the conditions neces- 
sary to give us assurance of infallible deductions from given 
premises? Before proceeding to discuss that matter, it is 
proper to premise that it is difficult, in dealing with the 
subtle forces of the subjective mind, to draw a distinct line 
between its powers of perception of fixed laws and its 
powers of deduction from given premises. Its perceptions 
seem to be instantaneous, and to preclude the idea of the 
employment of any such processes of reasoning as are known 
to the logic of objective education. 

The distinction seems to be this : If the premises are 
given from an extraneous source, in the form of a sugges- 
tion, the processes of deductive reasoning are employed. 
If the premises are the result of intuitive perception, the 
conclusion is also perceived simultaneously. In such a 
case the whole law pertaining to the subject-matter is per- 
ceived at once ; and it is inconceivable to the finite mind 
how any processes of reasoning have been employed. Thus, 
in the case of Zerah Colburn, his answers to mathematical 
problems of the most intricate character were given instan- 
taneously, and he was never conscious of employing any 
process of calculation whatever. Moreover, his answers 
were always correct. 

Now, whether the processes of deductive reasoning em- 
ployed by the subjective mind lead to infallible results, it is 
not my purpose to discuss. It is certain that they are mar- 
vellously accurate, whether the premises are true or false ; 
but whether they may be relied upon as always correct 
when the premises are true, I am not prepared to say from 
the data before me; nor is it important, for my present 
purpose, to know. 



THE SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST 379 

It is certain, however, that where the powers of percep- 
tion are employed, under proper conditions, the conclusions 
are infallible. 

We have now a starting-point from which we may form 
a correct estimate of the scientific accuracy of the spiritual 
philosophy of Jesus. 

If we are to concede that his doctrines are true, it is 
obvious that we must demonstrate the correctness of the 
following propositions : — 

1. That Jesus was endowed with the power to obtain a 
perfect knowledge of spiritual law by perception or intuition. 

2. To demonstrate this we must show, (a) that his 
knowledge of spiritual law was scientifically accurate ; and 
(<£) that it could not have been obtained by the ordinary 
processes of objective education. 

3. To show that his knowledge was accurate", it must be 
demonstrated that the conclusions arrived at by the induc- 
tive processes of modern science are identical with the 
doctrines that he proclaimed. 

It has already been shown that, as far as his physical 
manifestations are concerned, each of the statements em- 
braced in the foregoing propositions is true. It has been 
shown that he must have had an intuitive perception of the 
law of healing by subjective power, for the reasons, first, 
that in the state of occult knowledge existing in his day, it 
was impossible that he could have obtained his knowledge 
by means of objective education ; and, secondly, that his 
knowledge of the law of healing was scientifically accurate, 
as shown by the fact (a) that he proclaimed and con- 
stantly reiterated the essential condition of the exercise of 
the power of healing precisely as it is known at the present 
day ; (J?) that he constantly practised by the methods known 
at the present day to be the best ; (c) that he surrounded 
himself and his patients with the best attainable aids to the 
exercise of his powers, — precisely such aids, the utility of 
which has been demonstrated by modern practice ; and 
(d) that he constantly sought to secure the mental environ- 
ment which is now known to be of the first importance, if not 



380 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

absolutely essential, to successful mental healing. In short, 
it has been shown that he must have understood every prin- 
ciple and every law of mental therapeutics, the rediscovery 
of which has distinguished the present century. 

Reasoning, therefore, from the premises which have thus 
been established, we have the logical right to infer that he 
understood all the laws which pertain to the soul. If he 
understood the laws which govern it in its relations to its 
physical environment, it is fair to presume that he knew the 
laws which pertain to its continued existence after it is freed 
from the trammels of the flesh. Without any further proofs, 
therefore, we have the logical right to consider the one as 
presumptive evidence of the other. 

If I stopped right here, I might reasonably claim to have 
established the fact that the religion of Christ is founded upon 
a purely scientific basis. But I do not intend to rest content 
with mere presumptive evidence. I propose to show that 
his knowledge of the law of immortality did not rest upon in- 
ferential deductions from the facts known by him regarding 
the relations of the soul to its physical environment. I 
propose to show that the world is now in possession of facts 
from which we can reason inductively up to the same con- 
clusions which he proclaimed, ex cathedra, as the law of 
immortality. 

Before proceeding to do so, we must first inquire just 
what he taught. In doing so I intend to confine myself to 
the one essential proposition which he made regarding the 
condition essential to the soul's salvation ; for I do not 
propose to be led into a discussion of the great fabric of 
doctrinal religion which has been built up since he ascended 
to the Father. I leave that to the theologian. What I intend 
to show is, that, viewed from a purely scientific standpoint, 
the declaration which he made regarding the condition pre- 
cedent to the salvation of the soul is necessarily true. 

The first question, therefore, is, What did Jesus declare to 
be the one essential condition necessary to the attainment of 
immortal life ? When I say, " necessary to the attainment 
of immortal life," I mean literally what I say ; for I hold that 



THE SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST. 38 1 

if there is one principle laid down by the Master that is 
more clearly defined than any other, it is contained in his 
declaration, so often repeated, that faith — belief — is the —■ 
one essential condition precedent to the continued life of 
the soul after the death of the body ; and that, in the ab- 
sence of belief in immortality, the soul itself will necessarily 
perish. That this was his doctrine, literally interpreted, no 
one will deny. That he meant exactly what he said, I shall 
attempt to show. That his declarations to that effect were 
statements of a scientific truth, I shall attempt to demon- 
strate by the process of inductive reasoning from facts 
known to modern science. 

Before proceeding with the main argument, I hasten to 
say that the doctrine of future rewards and punishments 
will be left untouched. That question will stand just where 
it has always stood, — for each one to decide for himself 
according to his own interpretation of the Scriptures on 
that point, or his own sense of Divine Justice. I shall not 
even attempt to destroy the comfort and consolation which 
many good persons seem to derive from their belief in eter- 
nal fire. My only object is to show, from a purely scientific 
standpoint, that the history and essential doctrines of Jesus 
are confirmed by the facts and necessary inductions of 
modern science, and, incidentally, to harmonize certain 
passages of the New Testament which, through misinter- 
pretation, have seemed to be at variance. 

According to the Gospel of Saint John, the first declara- 
tion by Jesus of his doctrine of immortality was made to 
Nicodemus in the following words : — 

" And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even 
so must the Son of Man be lifted up : 

" That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but 
have eternal life. 

" For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten 
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but 

have everlasting life." 1 

■ 

1 John iii. 14-16. 



ST 



382 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

Again, in John vi. 40, 47, he makes the same declaration 
in the following clear-cut sentences : — 

" And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one 
which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlast- 
ing life. . . . 

" Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath 
everlasting life." 

Again : — 

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, 
and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and 
shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death 
unto life." 1 

" I am the resurrection, and the life : he that believeth in me, 
though he were dead, yet shall he live : 

" And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." 2 

Other passages might be quoted to the same effect, but 
these must suffice. 

The question now is, Did Jesus mean just what he said ; 
or were these idle words, having no significance taken in 
their literal sense ? Jesus was not in the habit of uttering 
idle words, or of making statements that did not contain 
the elements of eternal truth. If these are exceptions, they 
are the only ones recorded in his history. I hold that they 
are not exceptions, but that they are authoritative state- 
ments of a literal scientific truth. 

I have already shown that in formulating the doctrine of 
faith as the .essential condition prerequisite to successful 
healing, he gave utterance to a scientific principle which it 
has taken nineteen hundred years for the world to under- 
stand and appreciate. It is equally true that, in formulating 
the proposition that belief is the essential prerequisite to 
the attainment of immortality, he gave words to a scientific 
principle of far greater importance than the other. 

I am aware that one portion of the Christian Church be- 
lieves that by the words " eternal life " Jesus meant that 
reward in heaven which is promised to the just, and that by 

1 John v. 24. 2 John xi. 25, 26. 



THE SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST. 383 

"eternal death" he simply meant the punishment which 
the wicked must undergo for their sins. On the other 
hand, there are those of the Church who hold that the 
literal death of the soul is the punishment meted out to all 
who die in their sins, while " eternal life " is the reward 
promised to all who are good. Neither of these sects has, 
however, satisfactorily explained to unbelievers why it is 
that belief or unbelief enters as a factor in the case, since 
man is not supposed to be able to command his belief. 

It is to the reconciliation of these conflicting theories that 
I shall now address myself. 

The first proposition of my theory is that the death, or 
practical extinction, of the soul as a conscious entity is the 
necessary result of unbelief in immortality. 

The second proposition is that the soul, having attained 
immortality through belief, is then subject to the law of 
rewards and punishments " according to the deeds done in 
the body." 

The same propositions are more sententiously expressed 
in Romans ii. 12: " For as many as have sinned without 
law shall also perish without law : and as many as have 
sinned in the law shall be judged by the law." 

In other words, the condition precedent to the attain- 
ment of immortality, or salvation, — that is, the saving of the 
soul from death, — is belief. The condition precedent to 
the attainment of eternal bliss and the avoidance of the 
punishments incident to sin, is righteousness. 

It will thus be seen that if it can be shown that these 
two propositions are necessarily true, we shall avoid, on the 
one hand, the incongruous idea that belief will atone for all 
sin ; and, on the other, the equally incongruous idea that 
the extinction of the soul is the necessary consequence of 
all sin. 

In discussing the first proposition we shall first inquire 
what are the inherent probabilities regarding the meaning 
which Christ attached to the words which are quoted above. 
Is it probable, or even possible, that he could have taught 
that belief alone was a sufficient atonement for the sins of 



384 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

the wicked? Knowing, as all must know who have fol- 
lowed his career and noted his sayings, his utter abhorrence 
of all wickedness ; reading, as all ma)' read, his sublime 
code of ethics and morals, together with the awful maledic- 
tions pronounced upon all violations of that code, and the 
punishments which he held before the world as a conse- 
quence of sin, — it is simply impossible rationally to conceive 
the idea that he taught that all consequences of a life of sin 
could be avoided by belief. It is a self-evident proposition 
that a man may believe in Christ, may believe in immor- 
tality, and at the same time be steeped in all manner of 
wickedness and crime. No more devout believers can be 
found in all Christendom than those of an unfortunate race 
in America who are proverbial alike for their devoted piety 
and for their propensity to steal on their way home from 
prayer- meeting ; unless we except the bandits of Italy, who 
are as noted for their strict observance of the forms of the 
Church as they are for the fact that they live by the per- 
petration of murder and robbery. Unfortunately, our illus- 
trations cannot be drawn exclusively from any one race or 
nation. In every Christian society there are all too many 
devout believers who live in constant violation of every 
law, human and Divine. It is an insult to the intelligence of 
Christ and of humanity to hold the monstrous doctrine that 
the belief of these men can shield them from the punish- 
ment due to infamy, or that they can be adequately pun- 
ished, "according to their deeds," by annihilation. 

On the other hand, it is impossible to believe that Christ 
summarized all the virtues, human and Divine, in the one 
word belief, or that by the employment of that word he 
simply meant that all who live pure and virtuous lives 
before God and man will be entitled to the rewards of 
heaven. If this was all that he meant, he taught nothing 
new, either to the Jewish nation or to any other civilized 
nation then in existence ; for the Hebrews had been taught 
the doctrine of future rewards and punishments, of heaven 
and of hell, long before the appearance of the Messiah. It 
is true that Moses did not teach the Israelites any doctrine 



THE SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST. 385 

of the future world, and very vague mention is made of it 
in the later books of the Old Testament. It is a historical 
fact, nevertheless, that before the advent of Jesus the Jews 
had become imbued with the Greek doctrine of Hades, 
which was an intermediate waiting station between this life 
and the judgment. In this were situated both Paradise and 
Gehenna, the one on the right and the other on the left, 
and into these two compartments the spirits of the dead 
were separated, according to their deserts. Jesus found 
this doctrine already in existence, and in enforcing his 
moral precepts and in his parables he employed the symbols 
which the people understood, neither denying nor affirming 
their literal verity. I remark, therefore, that in simply 
teaching the doctrine of future rewards and punishments he 
taught nothing new ; and, in that sense, he is no more en- 
titled to be considered the Saviour of mankind than would 
be any other successful teacher of the same doctrine. 

We are, therefore, forced back to a literal interpretation 
of the statements under consideration. In this sense they 
can have but one meaning, and that is, that in the absence of 
belief in immortality, the soul cannot have a conscious exist- 
ence. Reasoning from known facts, there is no other 
rational conclusion. In explanation of the meaning of 
" conscious existence " in the sense in which I have em- 
ployed that phrase, it is only necessary to direct the atten- 
tion of the intelligent reader to the accepted definition and 
doctrine of consciousness. " In taking a comprehensive 
survey of the mental phenomena," says Sir William Hamil- 
ton, " these all seem to comprise one essential element, or 
to be possible only under one necessary condition. This 
element or condition is consciousness, or the knowledge 
that I — that the ego exists, in some determinate state." 1 
Again, he compares consciousness to " an internal light, by 
means of which, and which alone, what passes in the mind 
is rendered visible." 2 

The existence of a man without the knowledge of sensa- 
tions or of mental operations would be one without con- 

1 Metaphysics, p, 126. 2 Ibid. 

25 



386 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

sciousness, and would constitute a purely vegetative existence 
as long as it continued. One can readily understand this 
condition in the objective mind from the observation of 
physical phenomena. It is equally comprehensible how the 
subjective mind, or soul, may be deprived of a conscious 
existence when we remember the fundamental law of its 
being, the law of suggestion. We have already seen how 
the law of suggestion operates upon the soul in cases of 
cataleptic trance, where the suggestion is made that the 
patient is dead. In that case the suggestion was believed 
implicitly, and the preparations for the funeral did not dis- 
turb the equanimity of the patient in the least. Nor did 
the incongruity of the situation suggest itself to the patient ; 
namely, the idea of being dead and of thinking of being 
dead at the same time. 

The suggestion to the patient's subjective mind that he 
was dead, rendered that mind unconscious of its own mental 
operations, and he was, to all intents and purposes, dead. 

This is, obviously, but a feeble illustration of the prin- 
ciple involved. It is, however, sufficient to show how the 
soul may be deprived of a conscious existence. A life-long 
scepticism regarding the existence of the soul, and a conse- 
quent disbelief in immortality, constitute a suggestion that 
must operate to deprive the soul of a conscious existence, 
if the law of suggestion is universal in its operations. 

The phenomena of experimental hypnotism also demon- 
strate the truth of the proposition. Every hypnotist knows 
that a suggestion to a deeply hypnotized subject that he is 
dead will produce a condition of such profound lethargy 
or catalepsy as closely to simulate death, and were the 
impression not removed, it would doubtless end in death. 
When the subject remembers what has passed, he testifies 
that he believed himself dead, and saw no incongruity in 
the situation. A settled belief that the death of the body 
ends all, and the absence of any belief or knowledge of the 
subject, must each operate to the same end. 

It is this principle which constitutes the difference be- 
tween men and animals, and which gives the one the power 



THE SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST. 387 

and potency of immortality, and leaves the other to perish. 
Animals, in common with men, are possessed of a duality 
of mind ; the subjective in the former being proportionately 
stronger than in the latter, as is shown in their stronger in- 
stincts. Objective reason being weak, and the power of 
speech being absent, there is no possibility of the idea or 
suggestion of immortality being imparted to the animal. 
Hence its soul can have no conscious existence after the 
death of the body. It has the instinct of self-preservation 
in common with man, but it is the preservation of the life 
of the body. If the animal has any definite idea regard- 
ing life and death, it all pertains to the body. An animal 
certainly can have no idea of the possession of a soul, 
much less of its immortality. 

When, therefore, Jesus proclaimed the law that belief was 
a condition precedent to immortal life, he formulated a 
scientific proposition then new to the world, and at the 
same time proclaimed himself master of the science of the 
soul. He had declared the law of faith as it applied to 
the power of the soul to heal the sick, and he knew that 
the same law governed the soul in its relations to eternal 
life. He did not formulate his propositions in the terms 
demanded by the science of the nineteenth century, nor 
did he give such reasons for his conclusions as inductive 
processes require. The time for that had not yet come. 
Reasons would not have been appreciated in his day and 
generation. Nor was it necessary for the accomplishment 
of his mission — which was to proclaim the law of immor- 
tality — to show that the man whose soul has not been 
aroused to consciousness dies as the brute dieth. This 
was his mission ; and in so far as he has accomplished that 
mission is he entitled to be called the Saviour of the souls 
of mankind. He preached no new doctrine other than this. 
His code of ethics was sublime and godlike in its purity and 
simplicity, but it was not new. He taught the doctrine of 
future rewards and punishments ; but the symbols which he 
employed to describe the condition of the soul after death — 
the rewards bestowed and the punishments inflicted — were 



388 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

those which were current among the people with whom his 
earthly lot was cast ; nor does this fact argue for or against 
his omniscience. It would, obviously, have been impos- 
sible for him to convey to the world any adequate idea of 
the modes of spiritual existence in terms which could be 
understood. He used the current coin of expression to 
convey to mankind the broad idea that the soul that is 
"saved" to immortal life through "belief" will then be 
punished or rewarded according to the deeds done in the 
body. It would, obviously, have been useless and confusing 
to his hearers had he attempted to employ any new symbols, 
or any language to which they were not accustomed, to 
convey that idea. 

His mission, therefore, as the Saviour of the souls of men 
was accomplished when he revealed to the world the essen- 
tial condition of immortal life. His mission as a moral 
teacher was secondary in importance. The one doctrine 
was new, the other old. The one was a scientific fact, the 
other a code of ethics. The one was essential to the 
attainment of man's ultimate destiny as an immortal entity, 
the other a standard of right and justice in this world, 
and a condition of felicity in the world to come. 

It is said that when Hillel, who flourished in the century 
preceding Christ, was asked whether he could give the 
whole Jewish law in one sentence, he answered: 'Yes, 
perfectly well. What you do not want anybody to do to 
you, do not you to them. That is the whole law \ every- 
thing else is only commentary." 

The same may be truly said of the New Testament doc- 
trines and the law of faith. The only thing wholly new was 
the doctrine of faith. That is the whole law ; everything 
else is commentary. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

THE MISSION OF CHRIST ; FUTURE REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS. 

The Success of Christ's Mission. — Chaotic State of Spiritual Phi- 
losophy in His Time. — The Various Doctrines in Vogue. — Jesus 
the first to simplify the Doctrine of Immortality. — He gave it a 
Definite Status in Philosophy. — The Doctrine of Future Rewards 
and Punishments. — God will " render to every Man according to 
His Deeds." — Spiritual Penalties for Violations of Spiritual Law. 
— The Sin against the Holy Ghost. — The Sin of Unbelief. — The 
Status of a Lost Soul. — Possible Reincarnation. — The Means 
of Punishment for Sin. — Affections. — Conscience. — Memory. — 
General Conclusions. — Scientific Basis of Christianity. 

IT is often charged by the sceptical world that the mis- 
sion of Jesus has thus far proved a failure, for that 
only about one third of the inhabitants of the earth have 
ever heard the name of Christ ; that of Christian nations 
but a limited proportion of the inhabitants belong to the 
Christian Church; and that of the church membership 
there is but a limited number who so live as to entitle 
them to the rewards of heaven. Measured by the com- 
mon idea of what constitutes salvation, there may be good 
ground for that criticism. But measured by the number of 
those who believe in the immortality of the soul ; by the 
number who have a hope of a life beyond the grave ; by 
the number who have a consciousness of the existence 
within them of the transcendental ego ; or by the number 
of those who have risen, directly or indirectly, through the 
teachings of Christ so far above the level of the brute crea- 
tion as to have a consciousness of the possibility of immor- 
tal life, and a consequent hope and subjective belief in 



390 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

immortality, — his mission has proved the grandest success 
recorded in the history of missionary effort. 

It must be remembered that when he came into the 
world the doctrine of immortal life held a very vague and 
uncertain place in the philosophy of civilized mankind. I 
do not say that the doctrine of immortal life was unknown, 
but it was undefined, and so tinctured with finite con- 
ceptions, and limited by the uncertain boundaries of a 
hundred different systems of fantastic philosophy, that it 
did not, and could not, form a basis of rational hope or 
intelligent promise. 

Thus, among the Chinese of that day (i), the doctrines 
of Confucius held the most prominent place. His was a 
system which might be called a parent-worship, in which 
virtue was rewarded and vice punished in the individuals, 
or in their posterity, on earth, no promise of immortality 
being held out. (2) The sect of Rationalists, founded by 
Lautsz in the sixth century before Christ, taught the ema- 
nation of all good beings from the Bosom of Reason, and 
their absorption thither for an eternal existence, while the 
bad were doomed to successive births and many sorrows. 
(3) Another sect held that the principle of all things is but 
a vacuum, — nothing, — from which all things have sprung, 
and to which all must return. 

The Hindoo doctrine was substantially the same as it is 
now ; and it is so well known as not to require a particular 
statement, further than to say that its disciples believe in 
successive incarnations of the soul, and its final absorption 
into the incorporeal nature of Brahm. 

The Persians believed in the doctrine of hell for the 
wicked, and of paradise for the good ; but held that all the 
wicked would eventually be purified by fire. It was thought 
that the fires were hot enough to purify the most abomi- 
nable soul in about three days. 

Herodotus tells us that the Egyptians were the first to 
defend the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, and he 
says that they believed in its transmigration through various 
animal bodies for a period of three thousand years before 
its return to a human body. 



THE MISSION OF CHRIST. 39 1 

Of the Grecian schools, the Pythagoreans held that the 
soul is eternal, — that is, uncreated and indestructible ; 
that no real entity is either made or destroyed. The 
Eleatics held practically the same doctrine. The Ionics 
taught that the soul was reabsorbed into the Divine reason. 
The Stoics believed in the periodical destruction of all 
things by fire, when the good will be absorbed and the 
wicked perish. The Epicurean faith was well described 
by Paul in the phrase, " Let us eat and drink, for to- 
morrow we die." The Pyrrhonists were the sceptics of the 
age, and doubted everything. Socrates taught the doc- 
trine of immortality for the good, the virtuous, and the 
wise. The incurably bad are " hurled into Tartarus, whence 
they never come forth;" whilst those who can be cured 
sire subjected to needful punishments before being admitted 
into the mansions of the blest. Plato was a Pythagorean, 
'with certain bizarre notions of his own, such as the migra- 
tion of souls through various brute and human forms ; 
and he believed that even the duration of divine work is 
limited. 

It will thus be seen that when Jesus appeared on earth 
he found the philosophy of the soul in a very chaotic state. 
It was his mission to bring order out of chaos, and to pro- 
claim the true philosophy ; to declare the conditions of 
immortality, and point the way to eternal happiness. That 
he simplified the doctrine of immortality into a system so 
plain that " the wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err 
therein," no one will deny. Its grand simplicity, when 
placed in contrast with the complicated doctrines of all 
other systems of religious philosophy, ancient or modern, 
places upon it the stamp of inherent probability ; for scien- 
tific truth is always simple and free from complication. It 
was Jesus who gave the doctrine of immortality a distinct 
and definite form and a permanent place in the philosophy 
of the civilized world. It was he who first proclaimed the 
fundamental law underlying the science of the soul. It 
was from his words, spoken to a few humble followers in 
an obscure corner of the earth, that the doctrine has spread 



392 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

throughout all the civilized world. From the centres of 
civilization the Church has sent its missionaries, its repre- 
sentatives of the Master, among all peoples, civilized and 
savage, preaching the gospel of immortality to all mankind. 
Its influence is not confined to those who believe in the 
tenets of the Christian Church, nor even to those who have 
heard the name of Christ. It has spread, through some 
subtle, unseen power and potency, until it permeates every 
fibre of human society, and constitutes the promise of every 
religion, the hope of all humanity. 

I have, in other chapters, pointed out some of the proofs 
which science affords of the doctrine of immortality, and 
of the verity of the history of Jesus of Nazareth. I have 
shown that every known fact which bears upon the subject 
points to the continued life of the soul after the death of 
the body. I have shown that the discoveries of modern 
science demonstrate the fact that Jesus was in possession 1 
of a complete knowledge of the science of the soul in its 
relations to its physical environment. I have shown that 
all known facts bearing upon the subject go to prove that 
he also had a knowledge of its laws in its relations to a 
purely spiritual existence. 

We have then, first, an array of demonstrable facts which 
irresistibly lead to the conclusion that the soul survives the 
body ; secondly, another array of facts which prove that it 
was possible for an exceptionally endowed person to per- 
ceive the laws of the soul ; thirdly, an array of facts which 
demonstrate that Jesus did understand those laws as far as 
they pertain to the soul's relations to the physical man ; 
fourthly, we have facts which show that he understood the 
laws of the soul in its relations to the spiritual world, and 
the essential conditions of its conscious existence after the 
death of the body ; and fifthly, we have in the New Testa- 
ment a record of the acts which demonstrated his knowledge 
of the subject, as well as of his solemn and repeated dec- 
larations of the laws which pertain to that subject. 

When we consider together all these cumulative proofs, 
it may safely be said that there are few principles of nature 



THE MISSION OF CHRIST. 393 

that are more clearly established by inductive processes of 
reasoning than is the principle of immortality. 

Having established this proposition, it remains only to con- 
sider Christ's doctrine of future rewards and punishments. 
Obviously, this is a more difficult question to handle, foi 
the reason that there are necessarily few facts known to 
mankind which can be considered scientifically demonstra- 
tive of any proposition which has been made by any one 
on that subject. Nevertheless, if there is one known fact 
which confirms his declarations on that question, and at the 
same time satisfies the demands of human reason and the 
common sense of Divine Justice, we may safely conclude that 
the Christian religion rests upon a purely scientific basis. 

The first important fact which confronts us in consider- 
ing this branch of the subject is, that Jesus said very little 
on the subject. It was obviously impossible for him to 
convey to the human mind any adequate knowledge or 
idea of the actual conditions of a spiritual existence. He 
was hedged about by the limitations of human speech and 
the finite understanding of his followers. His descriptions, 
therefore, of the places of future rewards and punishments 
were necessarily limited to material conceptions. He could 
effectively employ no other symbolism than that with which 
his hearers were familiar and which they could appreciate. 
He had taught them in plain and unmistakable terms the 
conditions upon which the soul could attain a conscious 
existence ; and having done that, his mission was thence- 
forth a moral one. Having taught them how to attain 
eternal life, he taught them so to conduct their lives in this 
world as to entitle them to the joys of that life. It was no 
part of his mission to reconstruct the accepted geography 
of the world of spirits, for it could only add confusion to 
their crude conceptions. His parables were drawn from 
the objects and incidents of their every-day life, and were 
necessarily limited in their application to a spiritual exist- 
ence. His only object was to enforce a code of morals 
founded upon the eternal principles of right and justice, 
simple in terms, and adapted to their comprehension, but 



394 THE LAW 0F PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

grand in its simplicity, and adapted to the varying condi- 
tions of human society for all time. 

The question now is, What is to be considered the doc- 
trine of future rewards and punishments to be gathered 
from the New Testament? It is clear that we must reject 
all material conceptions of both heaven and hell. It fol- 
lows that the punishment must be a moral one, since there 
is no material entity to be dealt with. The sense of justice 
inherent in all mankind would seem to indicate that the 
punishment shall be commensurate with the offence. It 
must be assumed, therefore, that the true doctrine is ex- 
pressed in Romans ii. 6, where it is said that God will 
f render to every man according to his deeds" 

This satisfies the finite sense of justice, and perfectly ac- 
cords with the highest human conceptions of the character 
of a God of love, mercy, and justice. The good man would 
ask nothing more, the bad could expect nothing less. Rea- 
soning from analogy would lead to the same conclusion. We 
know from daily experience that every violation of the laws 
of our physical nature is followed inevitably by its adequate 
punishment. We have a right to suppose, therefore, that 
every violation of moral and spiritual law will be followed 
by its appropriate penalty. We know, indeed, from what 
we have seen of the teachings of Christ, that spiritual 
penalties follow a violation of spiritual law. In other 
words, the law of suggestion follows the soul across the 
boundaries of eternity. Spiritual death is the inevitable 
result of spiritual unbelief. It is not a vindictive punish- 
ment, it is the fundamental law of spiritual life. Just as 
the spirit quickens the flesh, so does faith quicken the 
spirit. 

Again, we find a spiritual penalty following a violation of 
spiritual law in what Christ taught regarding the sin against 
the Holy Ghost. Just what that sin consists of, never has 
been satisfactorily defined. We are told that it is a sin which 
cannot be forgiven. It must, therefore, consist of a viola- 
tion of some fundamental law of the soul's existence, the 
penalty for which is inevitable according to the fixed laws 



THE MISSION OF CHRIST. 



395 



of God. It cannot be a moral offence, consisting simply in 
wrong-doing, for such sins can be atoned for. A moral 
offence so gross that a God of infinite mercy and love can- 
not forgive it, and, if the Scriptures are to be believed, 
does not stand ready to forgive it when proper atonement 
is made, cannot be conceived. Nor has it been mentioned 
in Holy Writ. We are therefore forced to the conclusion 
that, as before remarked, the sin against the Holy Ghost 
must consist of a violation of the fundamental law of the 
soul's existence. It must, therefore, be the sin of unbelief, 
and consist of a blasphemous denial of the existence of the 
soul and its Father, God. This would be in strict accord- 
ance with the fundamental law of suggestion, as it has been 
scientifically demonstrated to exist. The emphatic and 
persistent denial of the soul's existence must eventually 
prove to be a suggestion so strong as to overcome its in- 
stinctive belief in its own existence, and thus neutralize its 
instinctive desire for immortal life. It would, therefore, 
have the same effect as unbelief arising from a want of 
knowledge, or a lack of the intellectual power to conceive 
the idea of immortality. The soul, in either case, could not 
have a consciousness of its own existence or individuality. 

It may be asked, What becomes of the soul when 
deprived of a conscious existence? Does it actually die, 
disintegrate, and return to its original elements? Is it 
possible that a human soul, created by God and endowed 
with the power and potency of immortal life, can fail of 
accomplishing its mission, and become extinct? Can a 
segregated portion of the Divine essence, once individual- 
ized, ever perish or lose its identity? All these questions, 
and more, will be asked. I do not know. Perhaps it is re- 
incarnated. I do not know anything about reincarnation. 
I know as much about it, however, as any one else knows. 
I mean by this that no one can be said to know anything 
about the truth of any proposition that has not underlying 
it a substratum of demonstrable fact. The theory of rein- 
carnation has no such basis ; and I shall not, therefore, 
indulge in speculation on the subject further than to say 



396 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

that it is possibly true that reincarnation is the process of 
the soul's evolution. If so, reasoning from analogy, I 
should say that the process ceases when the soul reaches 
the status of a conscious existence. In the physical world 
we see that the process of evolution has gone forward pro- 
gressively from the lowest form of animal life up to man. 
There the process ceases. All further progress is in the 
line of improvement in the human race. No higher type 
of animal life is developed, and in our pride of manhood we 
believe that there never can be any higher animal existence. 
It may, therefore, be true that the progress of a soul is 
through reincarnation from the lower animal life to the 
higher, until it reaches the human ; and that it may still go 
on in the lower grades of human organisms until it reaches 
the dignity of a conscious human soul. Having reached 
that point, the law of progress will expend its force in car- 
rying it forward to its ultimate destiny. Considered as the 
process of the soul's evolution, the necessity for further re- 
incarnation apparently no longer exists after the soul has 
attained the power and potency of a conscious, self-existent 
entity. 

I throw out this suggestion for the benefit of those spirit- 
istic mediums and other trance-seers who have found out 
so much more than Jesus knew about the internal economy 
of the spiritual world and the laws which pertain to spiritual 
existence. But this is a digression into the forbidden field 
of speculation without facts. 

The common experience of mankind demonstrates the 
proposition that appropriate physical penalties are the 
necessary result of a violation of physical laws ; and it has 
been shown from the teachings of Jesus, confirmed by the 
inductions of science, that the violation of the laws of spir- 
itual existence is followed by inevitable spiritual penalties. 
It now remains to be considered what facts are known to 
science which will confirm the doctrine that moral punish- 
ment will follow the infraction of moral laws, in exact ac- 
cordance " with the deeds done in the body." In order to 
do so intelligently, we must first briefly consider the question 



THE MISSION OF CHRIST. 397 

as to what the nature of the punishments and rewards must 
be. It being manifestly impossible for us to know, affir- 
matively, the particular modes of spiritual existence, we 
can arrive at a conclusion only by the method of exclusion. 
We must, therefore, begin by excluding all idea of material 
penalties or rewards. All such conceptions of spiritual life 
must be relegated to the dark ages of human intelligence, 
when man was able to conceive of no joy apart from physi- 
cal pleasure, and no punishment other than physical suffer- 
ing. Our conceptions must, therefore, be limited by what 
we know of the nature and attributes of the soul, as exhib- 
ited through phenomena. The first question, then, is, 
What do we know of the attributes of the soul? 

We know, first, that it is the seat of the emotions. It is 
therefore capable of being rewarded or punished through 
the natural affections. 

Secondly, we know that it possesses the inherent power 
of perception of the laws of nature and of God, including 
the eternal, God-ordained principles of right and wrong. 
It will, therefore, after its release from the body, be able to 
estimate the value of every good deed, and realize the in- 
herent infamy of every wrong one, as weighed in the scales 
of Eternal Justice. 

Thirdly and lastly, we know of one attribute and power 
of the human soul more pregnant with weal or woe, with 
joy or sorrow, than all the others combined ; and that is its 
perfect memory. 

These are the essential things that we know of the soul 
from the observation of phenomena. Our conceptions 
of it, therefore, are limited to its intellectual, moral, and 
emotional attributes. We know it only as an intellectual 
entity, and our conceptions of the rewards and punish- 
ments adequate to the ends of Divine Justice must be 
limited accordingly. 

Little need be said in explanation of the trend of this 
brief summary. The conclusions are obvious. We have 
before us an intellectual entity capable of experiencing all 
the natural emotions of humanity, of joy and sorrow, of 



398 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

love and friendship ; endowed with a perfect perception 
of the principles of right and wrong, and consequently in 
possession of an awakened conscience more keenly alive 
and active than the objective mind can conceive, and pos- 
sessing a memory so perfect that every good and every bad 
deed of its whole earthly existence is constantly before it 
like a vast panorama. What greater reward could such a 
being ask or experience than would be found in the con- 
templation of a well-spent life ? What greater punishment 
than the remorse of conscience arising from the ever-per- 
sistent memory of a life of wickedness and crime ? 

It is obvious that both rewards and punishments are ade- 
quate and exact, and that God will " render to every man 
according to his deeds," by and through the operation of 
his immutable, unchanging laws. 

I have now summarized enough of the leading points in 
the history of Jesus of Nazareth and of his doctrines, and 
compared them with known phenomena with sufficient par- 
ticularity to show that the inductions of modern science 
demonstrate the essential truth of the history of his physical 
manifestations, and to prove, as far as inductive reasoning 
from known phenomena can prove anything not physically 
demonstrable, the truth of every essential doctrine of his 
spiritual philosophy. I have by no means exhausted the 
subject, for the New Testament is full of passages confirma- 
tory of the view I have taken. It is true that I have inter- 
preted the passages relating to the conditions precedent to 
the attainment of immortal life in a way in which they have 
never before been interpreted ; but in doing so I have har- 
monized that which has heretofore seemed incongruous, and 
have thus removed a stumbling-block from the pathway of 
scepticism. I have no fear that even prejudice will find 
fault with my interpretation : for it not only leaves the es- 
sential doctrines relating to rewards and punishments uncon- 
tradicted, but it affords strong confirmation of their essential 
truth. Moreover, my interpretation is confirmed by the facts 
of modern science, and must, therefore, shed a new lustre 
upon the name and attributes of Jesus, demonstrating, as 



THE MISSION OF CHRIST, 399 

it does, the accuracy of his knowledge of the laws of the 
soul. 

It has been but a few years since the researches of sci- 
ence began to furnish facts confirmatory of the history and 
doctrines of Christ ; but it has come to pass that every new 
fact discovered, and every new principle evolved, weakens 
the foundation of every other religious superstructure, and 
adds strength and harmony of proportions to that erected 
by the man of Nazareth. 

It may, therefore, be now confidently asserted that Chris- 
tianity possesses that to which no other system of religion 
can lay a valid claim ; namely, a sound scientific basis. 




CHAPTER XXVII. 

DEDUCTIONS FROM VARIOUS ATTRIBUTES OF THE SOUL. 

The Question of Identity. — Consciousness and Memory. — Identity 
considered in Reference to Rewards and Punishments. — Con- 
science. — Conflicting Theories of Psychologists. — Education and 
Intuition. — Different Standards of Morality. — The Soul's Per- 
ception of the Eternal Principles of Right and Wrong. — The In- 
stinct of Worship. — Its Abnormal Manifestations. — The Law of 
Suggestion. — Universality of the Sentiment of Worship. — Its 
Normal Manifestations. — Demonstrative of the Existence of a 
God of Love. — Old Arguments invalid. — Socrates and Paley. — 
Argument predicated on the Affectional Emotions. — Syllogistic 
Deductions. — The Divine Pedigree of Man. 

IT has often been said that no proposition is worthy of 
* belief that is not verified by phenomena. Whilst I do 
not commit myself to a maxim so broad in its terms, I have 
thus far religiously refrained from advancing an idea that is 
not so verified. In other words, the primary object of this 
book is to interpret phenomena, and not to advance new 
ideas, except those which are thrust upon me as necessary 
deductions from the terms of my hypothesis. Sincerely 
believing that the fundamental propositions of that hypothe- 
sis are true, I have not hesitated to follow them into what- 
ever field they might lead, and to accept every legitimate 
conclusion. In pursuance of such deductions I have been 
led reluctantly to the conclusion that none of the phenomena 
commonly attributed to supermundane agencies afford tangi- 
ble evidence of the continued existence of the soul after the 



DEDUCTIONS FROM ATTRIBUTES OF THE SOUL. 40 1 

death of the body. I have, however, been more than com- 
pensated by the discovery, in pursuance of the same hy- 
pothesis, that in the inherent powers and attributes of the 
soul is to be found indubitable evidence of its immortality. 
This evidence is based on phenomena which have been, 
and may be, produced by experiment. Many of these phe- 
nomena have been already pointed out, but others remain 
to be considered which have an important bearing upon 
the question under immediate consideration ; namely, the 
immortality of the soul, and its relations to the Supreme 
Being. 

There are still other attributes and powers of the soul 
which have been considered, from which further conclu- 
sions may be drawn which may assist us in forming correct 
conclusions regarding its status in a future life. The first 
of these attributes which I purpose briefly to discuss is that 
of memory, and its relations to the question of spirit 
identity. 

The question as to whether the soul of man retains its 
identity after the death of the body, is second only in interest 
and importance to the question of immortality. There are 
many who hold that the soul is necessarily reabsorbed into 
the Divine essence, and finds its compensation for the ills 
of earthly life in becoming an integral part of God, and, as 
such, a participator in his power and glory. This presup- 
poses a loss of identity, and to most minds would be con- 
sidered equivalent to annihilation ; by others it is regarded 
as the highest conception of eternal felicity. Thus far no 
one, as far as I am aware, has attempted to offer any scien- 
tific reasons for believing one way or the other. It seems 
to me that there is abundant evidence in phenomena ob- 
servable in this life to demonstrate, as far as such a propo- 
sition is demonstrable, that the soul does retain its identity 
in a more pronounced degree, if possible, than we can retain 
it in this objective existence. In what does identity consist, 
or, more properly speaking, how is it retained ? The answer 
is, through our consciousness and memory. It is obvious 
that if either is lost, identity is lost. It is equally obvious 

26 



402 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA, 

that if both are retained, identity is retained. Now, the 
phenomena alluded to which bear upon the question relate 
to the perfect memory of the subjective mind, or soul. This 
faculty of subjective memory is implanted in the human soul 
for some purpose. It certainly does not pertain to this life, 
for, as we have seen, it is only under abnormal conditions 
that the phenomenon is observable. It must, therefore, be 
a part of the Divine economy pertaining to the future exist- 
ence of the soul. It has no use here, for objective recol- 
lection is all-sufficient for objective existence and purposes. 
The conclusion is irresistible that it is for the purpose, 
amongst other things, of enabling the soul to retain its 
identity. Its bearing upon the question of future rewards 
and punishments has already been commented upon ; nev- 
ertheless, at the risk of repetition, a further remark will be 
ventured. It is obvious that if the soul did not retain a 
conscious memory of its earthly life, no adequate or just 
reward or punishment could be meted out to it. Even 
human justice would revolt against, and human laws would 
prevent, the infliction of the penalty for a capital crime, if 
it were clearly proved that the criminal had so far lost his 
mind as to have no recollection of the events of his past 
life, or, in other words, had lost conscious identity. Besides, 
it must not be forgotten that the soul is the seat of the 
emotions, as well as the storehouse of memory. It is ob- 
vious that it is only through the emotions and the memory 
that rewards can be conferred, or punishments inflicted, 
upon the immaterial soul. 

Another question which has been incidentally alluded to 
deserves a more extended notice, for the reason that it bears 
directly upon the question of future rewards and punish- 
ments, and is also illustrative of the general hypothesis 
under consideration ; it is the question of conscience. 
Metaphysicians are divided in opinion on this question, one 
school holding that conscience is innate and instinctive, and 
the other that it is the result of experience and education. 
My hypothesis leads to the conclusion that each school is 
partly right and partly wrong. -Granted that the eternal 



DEDUCTIONS FROM ATTRIBUTES OF THE SOUL. 403 

principles of right and wrong are a part of the fixed and 
immutable laws of God, it follows that the soul of man will, 
under favorable conditions, have a clear perception of those 
laws. Those conditions may or may not be present during 
the life of the body. They certainly will be present when 
the soul is freed from the clogs of the flesh, and is able to 
perceive all the fixed laws of nature. In the mean time, 
while it is an inhabitant of the body it is amenable to con- 
trol by the power of objective suggestion, and hence is de- 
pendent upon the objective education of the individual for 
its standard of right and wrong. This standard may be high 
or low in any individual case. There will be one stand- 
ard in one community, and another in another, all depend- 
ing upon education and social environment ; but in each 
case the subjective mind will follow the suggestions im- 
parted to it by objective education. If the standard is 
high in any individual case, the sentiment will gradually 
become instinctive, so that the subjective impulses and 
emotions will play an important part. If the standard is 
low, the instinctive emotions will only be conspicuous for 
their absence. 

Man stands in his relation to the principles of right and 
wrong in just the same position that he occupies in his rela- 
tion to the laws of electricity or any other natural law. He 
is struggling to ascertain the laws in each case for the pur- 
pose of placing himself in harmony with them. His knowl- 
edge is of slow growth, but each century finds the general 
standard of right and wrong higher than it was the century 
before. If the soul possessed, in the normal condition of 
man,, an instinctive knowledge of those laws, he would not 
have to await the slow process of evolution to develop 
them. 

History records the name of but one man in whom the 
eternal principles of right and wrong were instinctive. That 
man was Jesus Christ. He perceived those laws, as he per- 
ceived all spiritual laws, while yet in the flesh. We may 
profit by his example and his precepts, but otherwise we 
must work out our own salvation, knowing that, when the 



404 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

soul reaches its final home, it will be in possession of the 
eternal standard by which to measure the guilt or innocence 
of every deed done in the body. 

The only remaining psychic phenomena which I propose 
to discuss are those connected with that emotion of the hu- 
man soul which finds its expression in the worship of the 
Supreme Being. This feeling is so widespread that no 
system of philosophy is complete that does not take it into 
account. Like every other emotion, it has its normal 
mode of expression, and its abnormal manifestations. The 
difference between the two modes of expression is so great 
that their identity of origin has been, to a great extent, 
lost sight of. 

The abnormal manifestation of this emotion now occurs 
principally among the uncultivated classes of religious wor- 
shippers, and the feeling has been somewhat contemptuously 
designated as " emotional religion." It is conspicuous in 
the revival meetings of certain religious sects, where in for- 
mer years its manifestations were so violent and unseemly 
that it was looked upon as reprehensible ; but these exhibi- 
tions have been, of late years, generally repressed, except 
among the lower orders of the people. Scientists have 
tried to account for it on the ground that it is the result 
of mesmeric power consciously or unconsciously exerted 
by the preachers over their congregations, resulting in 
an ecstatic emotion wholly abnormal and entirely uncon- 
nected with true religion. The fact that it sometimes re- 
sults in a cataleptic condition, and sometimes in a trance 
undistinguishable from that produced by hypnotic pro- 
cesses, lent color to the theory, and has gradually brought 
the educated classes to regard the feeling of religious 
emotion with distrust. The result is that what used to 
be known as " vital religion " is gradually becoming a 
thing of the past, and is giving place to a cold, self- 
contained, unemotional sentiment, which is as unlike true 
religious worship as the other, and as abnormal. 

It is true that the abnormal manifestations of the emotion 
are governed by the same laws, and are produced by the 



DEDUCTIONS FROM ATTRIBUTES OF THE SOUL. 405 

same causes, as other subjective phenomena. Suggestion 
plays its part in these as in other things pertaining to the 
attributes of the soul ; and in these, as in all others, a wrong, 
extravagant, or misdirected suggestion produces abnormal 
results. But this does not argue that the emotion is ab- 
normal. There is no emotion of the human soul that has 
not its abnormal manifestations when not directed and con- 
trolled by reason. The common experience of every-day 
life demonstrates this proposition. One of the most sacred 
and praiseworthy of all the human emotions is that of love 
between the sexes. But the fact that our jails are filled 
with those who have indulged in its abnormal manifesta- 
tions does not argue that the institution of marriage is 
abnormal. 

The sentiment of worship is as widespread as the senti- 
ment of love ; and that very fact shows that it must be taken 
into account in the diagnosis of the human entity, if we would 
arrive at correct conclusions. That this sentiment is uni- 
versal, and is repressed only by an effort of will, no one will 
deny. It is its abnormal manifestations merely that are to 
be guarded against. Like every other emotion of the soul, 
its normal indulgence is in the highest degree healthful and 
exalting. The normal expression of the emotion of earthly 
love brings us into harmonious relations with our fellow- 
beings. The normal expression of the emotion of worship 
brings the soul into harmonious relations with its Creator. 
Every form and act of worship is an expression of this emo- 
tion. It is experienced by all races of the human family, 
from the fetich worshipper to the Christian. Each stands 
in awe and reverence before some superior power, external 
to himself, and capable of controlling his destiny. In pro- 
portion to his intelligence will his conceptions of that power 
be exalted; and in proportion to the exaltation of his 
conceptions will be the intensity of his emotions of awe, 
reverence, love, worship. 

The conclusions which necessarily follow are of the most 
important character. The first and most important — for it 
includes all the rest — is that the fact of the existence of 



406 THE LA W OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

the emotion of worship is demonstrative of the existence 
of a Supreme Being. 

And right here I wish to make an important distinction. 
The standard theological argument in favor of the immor- 
tality of the soul is based upon the following syllogism : 

i. There is a universal desire for immortality. 

2. The mind of man cannot conceive an object of desire 
the means for the attainment of which are not somewhere in 
existence. 

Conclusion : Man is necessarily immortal. 

Now, if these premises were demonstrably correct, we 
might safely rely upon the conclusion. But they are not 
correct. The first may be assumed to be practically true, 
for the sake of the argument ; but the desire for continued 
life beyond the grave may be explained upon other grounds, 
namely, upon the instinctive desire to prolong life. This 
'nstinct is shared with man by all the animal creation, and 
pertains, primarily, to the preservation of animal existence. 
Man soon learns that continued animal existence is impos- 
sible. He sees that all must die ; but, as " hope springs 
eternal in the human breast," he conceives the hope 
that he may, somehow, live after the death of the body. 
The existence of the desire for immortality is, therefore, 
traceable directly to the purely animal instinct of self- 
preservation. 

The second premise is intrinsically absurd. It is obvious 
that the brain of man may conceive of many objects of 
desire which are manifestly impossible of realization, as well 
as non-existent. In the Christian mythology of Milton the 
idea is developed of a rival power — Satan — in heaven 
almost, but not quite, equal to God. In the struggle which 
ensued from a rebellion of Satan he was cast out, and 
set up a kingdom of his own on this earth. Now, a 
strictly orthodox person might say that this was merely 
an allegorical representation of an existent fact. But 
suppose the poet had gone a step further, and had 
represented Satan as going outside the universe and 
setting up a rival universe of his own. Would that 



DEDUCTIONS FROM ATTRIBUTES OF THE SOUL. 407 

conception have proved that an outside universe is pos- 
sible or existent? 1 

Again, the existence of a Supreme Being is thought to 
have been demonstrated by the argument of Socrates where- 
in he confuted Aristodemus the atheist, and used the stat- 
ues of Polycletus and the pictures of Zeuxis to illustrate 
the idea that, as the structure of the universe shows evi- 
dence of design, therefore there must have been a designer. 
Theology has never improved upon this argument, and 
Paley makes the same use of the watch for an illustration as 
Socrates did of the statues and pictures. It is a strong 
argument, but it does not reach the point which the 
human heart desires to have demonstrated. Nor does it 
add force to, but rather weakens, the argument which is 
found by all reflecting minds in every tree, leaf, bud, or 
flower. It simply proves the existence of a force, which 
all admit. 

What the human heart desires, and what the human mind 
seeks, are proofs of the existence of a God, not of mere 
intelligence and potentiality, but such a God as Jesus char- 
acterized, — a God of love and benevolence, a God who 
sustains the relation of Father to all humanity. 

It seems to me that in seeking within the realm of human 
desire for an argument in proof either of immortality or the 
existence of a Supreme Being, theologians have failed to 
make a necessary distinction between desires which may or 
may not be universal and inherent, and desires which have 
their source in the affectional emotions. It is upon the 
latter only that an argument can be logically predicated. 

1 One of the most eminent and fair-minded theologians in the 
United States, who has kindly read the manuscript of this work and 
indulgently criticised its contents, suggests that I have not treated the 
standard theological argument quite fairly, in that I should have stated 
the second proposition less broadly : that the desire referred to is 
instinctive desire, and should have been so limited. I freely admit 
that as careful and candid a reasoner as he would naturally so limit 
the statement of the proposition. But not all theologians are as can- 
did and logical. However, I provisionally accept his limitation, and 
reply that the answer to the amended second proposition is embraced 
in the answer to the first. 



408 THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 

And I may go further, and say that an argument logically 
predicated upon the affectional emotions, is demonstrative. 
It is true that some of the emotions of the soul seem to 
pertain exclusively to this life ; but not all. The emotion 
of religious worship pertains solely to that invisible power 
which we call God. Nevertheless, we may employ the 
others for illustration. Let us see how this doctrine applies 
to the subject under consideration. Putting it in syllogistic 
form, we have the following : — 

i. The affectional emotions are universal attributes of 
every normally developed human mind. 

2. No affectional emotion can have an existence in the 
normally developed human mind in the absence of an 
object of affection capable of reciprocal feeling. 

Therefore, when a normally developed human being ex- 
periences the emotion of love or affection, there is neces- 
sarily existent an object of love or affection normally capable 
of reciprocal emotion. 

Thus, the emotion of friendship presupposes the friendly 
relation existing between man and his fellow- man. 

The emotion of sexual love presupposes the sexual rela- 
tion and the existence of persons of the opposite sex nor- 
mally capable of reciprocal emotion. 

The emotion of parental love presupposes the relation 
of parent and child, each normally capable of reciprocal 
attachment. 

It follows that the emotion of religious worship presup- 
poses the existence of an object of worship capable of recipro- 
cal emotion. 

If this is not the correct interpretation of the universal 
sentiment of worship which is inherent in the breast of 
every normal human being, then there is an exception to 
the laws which govern every other human emotion. As 
there are no exceptions in the operation of nature's laws, 
the conclusion is inevitable, not only that the emotion of 
religious worship is normal, but that it is the one phenom- 
enal attribute of the soul which gives to man indubitable 
evidence of his Divine origin, and demonstrates the exist- 



DEDUCTIONS FROM ATTRIBUTES OF THE SOUL. 409 

ence of a God of love. It is the connecting link between 
man and his Creator. It is the instinctive manifestation of 
filial affection which proclaims our Divine pedigree, and 
demonstrates the universal brotherhood of man and the 
Fatherhood of God. 

" Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless 
till they rest ip Thee." 



THE END. 



The Divine Pedigree of Man s 



OR THE TESTIMONY OF 
EVOLUTION AND PSYCHOLOGY 
TO THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD 



By THOMSON JAY HUDSON, LL.D. 

AUTHOR OF "THE LAW OF PSYCHIC PHENOMENA," Etc. 



12mo. 379 pages. $1.50. 



Dr. Hudson's new book presents an original interpretation 
of the facts which have been accumulated by the labors of 
evolutionists, Haeckel, Darwin, Spencer, and the rest ; and, 
in an argument founded on a demonstration of the fact that 
the God-like powers of man exist potentially in the lowest 
forms of life known to us, strengthens the belief in Christian 
Theism and deals a formidable blow to the position assumed 
by atheists. Dr. Hudson's conception of evolution is worked 
out with the same avoidance of vague theory, and the same 
adherence to a. basis of well-authenticated facts and to cogent 
and logical reasoning, which characterize his former works. 
It will prove a helpful and interesting work to every thoughtful 
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Dr. Hudson has an interesting style, a method at once deliberate and 
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of illustration. . . . The argument is a strong one, strongly presented, and 
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Dr. Hudson's line of argument is strikingly original and remarkable for its 
logic and strength. He makes out a case that cannot fail to impress the 
reader who follows him. — The Detroit Free Press. 



For sale by booksellers generally, or will be sent, post- 
paid, on receipt of the price, $1.50, by the publishers, 

A. C. McCLURG &• CO., Chicago 



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